Across the Universe
by ShainaNight
Summary: Fourth installment of the series begun by Fountain of Youth, cataloguing the exciting and often dangerous travels of the Doctor and his family.
1. Spaceships and Faceless Men

**To those of you who just clicked on this randomly, you may want to know that this is the fourth installment of a series started by Fountain of Youth.**

**To those of you returning, welcome back! I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that you guys have stayed with me all this time**. **It just makes me want to keep writing :)**

**As always, reviews are very much appreciated. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Sir? Sir, are you alright?"<p>

All the Doctor could see was red, but then he realized his eyelids were still closed. Forcing them open was a chore in of itself, and afterward he wished he hadn't tried. The midday sun was harsh on his unfocused pupils, and he groaned, every inch of him sore. A little girl was staring down at him curiously, and if it wasn't for her vivid green eyes it would have taken a little longer for him to remember what had happened.

"Amy!"

The Doctor sat bolt-upright, forgetting about the soreness. His welfare was of no importance to him now. The child stared at him, perplexed. "Sir?"

"I'm fine, fine. Excuse me." The Doctor jumped to his feet. His toe caught the dart, and he bent down and picked it up, pocketing it for future investigation. Then he took off down the street, shouting Amy's name over and over again. His hearts were beating so fast it felt as if they were slapping against his ribcage, trying to escape, as if they couldn't stay inside him if Amy wasn't there.

She was, as he had expected, nowhere to be found. Whoever took her could have been halfway across the galaxy by this point. Not wasting any more time, he changed direction and raced for their apartment, only half hoping she'd somehow escaped and was waiting for him there.

"Sorry, Doctor, but she hasn't come back," Mrs. Bloom said when she opened her door to him. Her apartment smelled faintly of smoke, but the Doctor barely noticed. "Is something the matter?" The woman asked concernedly.

"No. No, I'm sure she'll turn up," the Doctor lied. "I'll go ahead and take Ian and Jenna off your hands, if you don't mind."

Not surprisingly, Mrs. Bloom didn't mind in the least. In fact, she seemed immensely relieved. The two children looked innocent as angels when she brought them to the door, although both adults knew better.

"Daddy!" Jenna cried, launching herself at his leg. He laughed and picked her up, folding his arms tightly around her as if he feared Amy's kidnappers might come back for their daughter as well. Ian was content to walk next to him as they returned to their apartment, babbling on about what he'd done in the last couple hours, conveniently leaving out the part that would have explained the smoke smell.

When they reached home, however, both Ian and Jenna started looking around for their mother.

"Daddy, where's Mummy?" Ian questioned, peering around the furniture as if he expected Amy to be hiding behind the couch.

The Doctor winced. "She's…not here right now. But I promise we're going to find her, Ian." He set Jenna down next to her brother, his hands on their shoulders. "Now, how would you two like to ride in a spaceship?"

* * *

><p>Amy woke up feeling incredibly sick. Not that this was new; every morning for the past four months had started out that way. This time, on the other hand, was undoubtedly the worst. Her head was pounding as if someone had dropped a brick on it, and her stomach kept twisting into the most complicated knots it could come up with and threatening to send its contents up her throat. Already knowing what she would find, she opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on a pallet on a cement floor, in the corner of some sort of cell. Her nightmare had become reality.<p>

Further inspection revealed that the exercise outfit the Doctor had bought her was gone, replaced by a uniform gray shirt and pants that reminded her a little too much of what felons wore. The shirt had been made to account for more girth around the midriff; they'd known she was pregnant.

There was a sudden clanging noise, like a bolt being thrown out of its chamber, and the thick metal door creaked open. Out of instinct Amy tried to sit up and realized too late that her body wasn't going to let her. Apparently the drug that had knocked her out was still in her system, keeping movement limited and painful, and black dots spotted her vision. She fell back on the pallet with a moan and curled up into a ball, wishing August would pick any time but then to kick her in the side. Tense, she watched warily as the door was opened wider, and a faceless man appeared, a bowl of some gray substance that looked anything but edible in his hands. Now that she wasn't fighting to get away, Amy could see that he was actually not a man at all, but an animated plastic dummy. Not that this was any more of a comfort; the Doctor had told her about Autons and what they were capable of.

The Auton sat the bowl in front of Amy, who wrinkled her nose at it. "Are you kidding me? I am NOT eating that," she said stubbornly, even though her stomach was growling again. It seemed ages since the Doctor had made her eat the honeyed oatmeal with fruit, and just the thought of it made her mouth water.

There was no response, however, or even acknowledgement that he'd heard her. He merely straightened up and turned around, marching back out the door and slamming it behind him.

Hours passed, and Amy's hunger got worse. Still she ignored the bowl, taking to staring at the door instead as if willing it to open. She dared not lie down and go to sleep, despite how tired she was, afraid of being caught off guard. If there was a chance of escape, she was obligated to take it.

"OI! Anyone out there? Well if you are, listen up and listen good. No one locks Amy Pond up in a cell and expects her to just take it, ya hear me? NO ONE!"

No one came; she hadn't really expected them to. Unable to handle the silence any longer, Amy managed to drag herself over to the door. Her fists pounded on the cold metal, making a racket loud enough to wake the dead as she struck it repeatedly. After a while her knuckles developed bruises and her skin cracked, blood seeping from them.

"Let me out. Please, just let me out!" Amy was sobbing again, her cheek pressed against the door, her throbbing, bloodied hands tucked into her chest. She missed the Doctor, thinking of how he would hold her if she was back at the apartment with him, kiss her hands and get out the first aid kit, all the while reprimanding her for causing unnecessary harm to herself. She missed Ian, who would surely ask a million questions as to why she wanted to wear cloth tied around her hands, and Jenna stealing the leftover bandages so they could pretend to be injured too. The more she thought about them the more she wept, until her weary body at last succumbed to a fitful sleep on the hard concrete floor.

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><p>The Doctor had to admit that his favorite reaction yet of someone entering his TARDIS came from Ian and Jenna. Their eyes suddenly grew three times in size as he led them inside, trying to take in everything at once.<p>

"It's so big!" Ian shouted in an attempt to make his voice echo.

"I want to live here instead, Daddy!" Jenna chorused, giggling and taking off to run circles around the console. Ian soon joined her. The TARDIS began to hum slightly as they ran about her exploring.

"Missed them have you, old girl?" The Doctor chuckled and patted the console of his ship. She hummed again in what seemed like agreement, following by a small whining noise. "I know, dear. It's been a while for me too. Just give me a second."

With that, the Doctor set to work on the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers he hadn't touched in years. It felt good to be back.

"Ian! Jenna! Come here and hold on to something!" The Doctor called, having no intention of using the stabilizers now that his children were old enough. They complied and ended up grabbing onto his legs. "Well I suppose that works too. Geronimo!"

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><p>"Four years, Clarion."<p>

"River…"

"Four years! Don't you think they should be back by now? They said they would." River paced the marble floor, hands clasped behind her back. She didn't want to admit to the possibility that the Doctor had forgotten her, that he had left her like he had left so many others. It seemed less likely that Amy would forget; in fact, she'd be the one telling him to come back.

"It's a big universe, River. And they do have their own lives to lead. Just be patient." Clarion wanted to see their friends as much as his wife did, but he figured their absence thus far had been for the better. Anavrin had been a wreck when they'd first started putting it back together again, and only recently had they finished and were able to sit safely in the renovated palace, knowing their subjects were taken care of. Perhaps it was also because of this that River had been irritable of late; she thrived on hard work. Clarion watched her affectionately as she pulled at a ringlet, loving how her hair utterly refused to be repressed. She was dressed in a flowing olive-green halter jumpsuit, which did wonders for her figure in his opinion. She had already become something of a trendsetter in Arbora, for a majority of the women were trading their skirts for trousers in an effort to be like their beloved queen.

"You don't think they've…forgotten about us, do you?" River asked.

"Of course not. Who could ever forget someone with a personality like yours?"

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" She swayed towards where he sat pouring over written appeals from citizens, arms crossed, a dangerous expression on her face.

"Forgive me, I seem to have neglected to insert 'winning' before 'personality'."

"Better." River smiled and slid into his lap, their lips meeting instantaneously, her hands running through his hair as his fiddled with the tie of her jumpsuit.

They were interrupted when a fluctuating wheezing noise perforated the silence, and the papers flew off Clarion's desk. The couple broke apart and grinned, recognizing it for what it was, their hearts thumping excitedly. A big blue police box materialized in front of their eyes seconds later, and the door creaked open.

"Am I interrupting something?" The Doctor asked, taking in their compromising position.

River jumped off Clarion's lap and marched up to him, jabbing a finger in his chest. "Where. Have. You. BEEN?" She demanded.

"New London, New Earth, four years straight, and before you ask, yes, it was very dull. And before you ask if I've lost my mind, although that's always a possibility, the reason was because someone was trying to track the TARDIS."

"You went…_domestic_? As in settled down in one place for an extended period of time?" River was in partial shock.

"Yes, and I'd rather not talk about it. There are more important matters at hand."

Just then, Ian and Jenna tumbled out of the TARDIS, involved in a battle over the sonic screwdriver.

"Oi! What did I say about touching that?" The Doctor stepped between them and retrieved the device, slipping it as deep into his jacket pocket as it would go.

"Good lord, don't tell me these are those tiny babies I spent a good deal of my time chasing around the TARDIS!" River crouched down and pulled both of them into a hug, which they were perfectly okay with even though their memories of her were fuzzy. They rather enjoyed attention of any kind.

"Yes, but they're no less trouble, I'll tell you that."

"No surprise there." River laughed and planted kisses on the tops of their heads.

"Do _you_ know where my mummy is?" Ian asked her, staring up at her with his big green eyes.

It was funny how such an innocent question could so drastically change the atmosphere.

"Doctor, where's Amy?" River asked, realizing for the first time the lack of the fiery-tongued ginger. She'd never seen a man crumple inside without physically moving a muscle until that moment.

"That's the thing. They found us somehow, even without honing in on the TARDIS. They…they took her."

"Who did?" Clarion asked.

"I don't know. But I believe it's the same person from four years ago."

Clarion and River looked at each other.

"Well you've got us now," River said hearteningly, smiling. "Let's go get her back."


	2. White Prison

The next time Amy woke up, the cell was gone, replaced by a white-walled room that smelled of antiseptic and looked far too much like one in a hospital. She was lying in an actual bed this time, the gray blanket pulled up over her bump, an IV inserted into her hand and her knuckles bandaged. She figured they must have drugged her at some point in the night to have accomplished both bringing her here and patching her up. She half-wished they would have just left her to die instead.

Sitting up, Amy fully intended to continue her attempts of escape when she discovered that her other wrist had a metal cuff around it, a length of chain running from it to the bedpost near her head. She yanked at the chain angrily, but the lock held fast no matter how hard she pulled.

"As you may have noticed, struggling isn't going to do anything but tire you out. Not a bad idea, now that I come to think of it."

Amy swiveled her head around to find that she was no longer alone. A woman had entered the white room, which was starting to feel more like a prison than the cell had. She was unusually tall, her rail-thin body clad in a pressed black pantsuit and spike-heeled alligator boots. Her hair white, although she couldn't have been more than forty, and was cut close to her head. Her skin was papery and almost as white as her hair, her lips over-enhanced with pepper-red lipstick, and her talon-like nails painted a poisonous black. Her eyes were the same color as her nails and were merciless.

"Who are you?" Amy demanded, her tone full of ire.

The woman's lip curled. "Rhododendron."

"Come again?"

"I go by Rhodes, if that's easier for you."

"Right, whatever. I'll have you know you are making a _big_ mistake, woman. When my husband gets his hands on you—"

"The Doctor is of no concern to us, Amelia Pond. Stealing you away from him was child's play."

"I'm warnin' ya now, lady. You're not the only one who's thought you could outwit him. He always finds a way. Always."

Rhodes laughed. "The Doctor is nothing more than a coward and a fool! Hiding you away for so long, thinking he could escape us, like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand."

Amy strained against her bond with such force that the bed shuddered violently, and the machine monitoring her vitals went haywire for a few seconds. She shot a dirty look at her captor. "If I could reach you, you'd be so dead right now."

"Amusing, really. I've never seen such spirit in a human." Rhodes inspected her nails as if the conversation was boring her. "A shame we're going to be killing you eventually."

Amy's blood ran cold. "What's stopping ya from doing it now?"

"We need the child to finish growing, and we can't easily do that if you're dead. Once he's born, however, we shall have no further use for you."

Amy's hands splayed over her stomach protectively. "What could you possibly want with him?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Time Lords are very hard to come by, especially fledgling ones impressionable enough to bend to our will. It was quite fortunate when we heard tales that the last Time Lord in existence had picked up a wife. We knew it was only a matter of time before a child came along."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I have spent most of my life in pursuit of one thing; dominion over all races and peoples in this universe. He's my key to that."

"And how's that supposed to work?"

"Every Time Lord has the knowledge of the universe locked away in his or her brain, which can only be unlocked willingly by him or her. It's a code, the guideline, if you will, to building a craft capable of travel through both time and space, which would give me the power I crave. Trying to drag it out of the Doctor, of course, would be pointless. And the TARDIS is too smart to allow us to control it; don't think we haven't tried. Always was the problem with the types that were grown, not made."

"You can't mess with time, especially for a purpose like that. There's a reason the Time Lords fell, ya know. And what if he doesn't tell you what it is?"

"He will. If he wants to make his mummy happy," Rhodes responded, placing a hand on her chest.

Amy bristled. "I'M his mum."

"Maybe biologically, but he'll never know that. You'll be dead long before he has a chance to remember you."

"Monster!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Rhodes leered at her. "I suggest you get some rest now. The IV will supply you with all the insulin you require, so no need to worry about that."

"How do you know about that?"

"A certain Gretchen Teach kindly supplied us with your medical file. So unfortunate that we had to eliminate her."

Amy gulped. "You didn't have to."

"Can't have the Doctor finding any leads, now can we?" Rhodes pulled a vial out of her pocket and inserted it into Amy's IV. Against her will, the ginger's eyes began to droop. "Sleep tight, dear. I want my son to be nice and healthy."

Amy grasped at insults to hurl at the woman, but she was asleep before they even left her mouth.

* * *

><p>"So do you have a plan?" River asked as the TARDIS door closed behind her and Clarion.<p>

"Yes!" The Doctor said as he dashed around the console, setting coordinates.

"Do you mean that or are you bluffing again?" River asked skeptically.

"Yes!"

"Yes to which one?"

"Sorry, River, can't quite hear you."

"Doctor!"

"Alright, alright! It's sort of in the beginning stages; a very brilliant and exceptional plan in the making."

"Which means that, as usual, you have no plan."

"No plan _yet_. One must be specific."

River rolled her eyes. "Okay, would you rather _specifically_ tell us where we're going?"

"Don't know. Wait! Lightbulb! Yes I do. Back to New London. That's where it happened, and the only way I reckon they found her was due to a tipoff. We need to find the tipoff-er."

"Is that even a word?"

"It is now. I just said it." The Doctor pulled the dart that had felled him out of his pocket and tossed it to her. "I need a full analysis done on that."

"What, do you have a chemical lab in here or something?"

"Down the hall, take a left down some stairs and it'll be the fifth door on your right," the Doctor said, pointing. River sighed and headed in that direction.

"Can we help her, Daddy?" Ian asked excitedly.

"Sure, why not?" Answered the Doctor indulgently. Both his son and daughter whooped and chased after River.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Clarion asked in a tone that clearly indicated he thought otherwise. In fact, he seemed quite alarmed.

"Never too early to teach them how to do a good drug analysis, eh? By Ian's age I was already learning how to make my first poison and antidote. And I was the slow one in class."

"Really? But they're only _half_ Time Lord."

"Should be quite enough. Besides, I think it's best if it's just me and you for this job." The Doctor opened the door, beckoning for Clarion to exit first.

"River's going to kill you once she finds out you left her behind."

"Yes, well, there are always risks. Honestly, I have her best interests at heart. We might be getting ourselves into danger."

"She's been in dangerous situations before. That didn't seem to matter so much to you then."

"True, but this time's…different."

"How so?"

"Well well, look at the time! We better get going!" The Doctor announced hurriedly, making a show of checking his non-working watch. Before Clarion had a chance to question him further, he was already bounding out of the TARDIS and down the street, leaving the king no choice but to follow.

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><p>Amy stopped to catch her breath, sweat trickling down her forehead.<p>

"WEAK! That's all you are, Amelia Pond. A weak human with little reason to live."

Amy looked up and glared at the white-haired woman in the middle of the circular track, hating her with every ounce of her being but determined not to give her the satisfaction of a reply. Sweat was pooling in between her shoulder blades, dripping down to the small of her back. Her forehead and collarbone shone with it, as did her ponytailed hair. She'd never perspired this much in her life and she loathed it, loathed Rhodes for making her run in the first place, loathed the Auton standing just behind the woman with the guns in his hands pointed at Amy.

It had been a week since she'd been taken, and during the time they didn't have her knocked out with a narcotic, she'd learned more about her prison. She was on what she'd heard them refer to as a warship, and an eventual peek out a window revealed that it was one that traveled through space. Her room was located in the medical bay at the rear of the ship, where she had stayed confined for the first few days and given unappealing food for sustenance. When Rhodes had learned Amy was protesting by not eating, she sent a team of medics to force a feeding tube down her throat, which the girl fought against but was soon outnumbered. It was an experience that did not have to be repeated.

The exercise routine was a new development. Rhodes wanted to make sure the gestational diabetes didn't have any ill effects on August, and so she had Amy dragged out of bed nearly every morning and taken to the ship's jogging track despite the resistance she was met with. The trip did allow Amy a chance to see the rest of the ship, however, and she soon discovered that the warship housed an army of Autons. Their blank-faced, inhuman presence in the corridors sent a shiver down Amy's spine every time she passed them, but she dared not stop walking. After the last six odd escape attempts, Rhodes had taken to following close behind her with a taser gun that, although not strong enough to hurt the baby, was enough to make all of her nerves scream in agony for a few seconds.

If there was one thing Amy was glad for, it was that neither Rhodes nor the people (the living ones, anyway) who worked for her were aware of the existence of Ian and Jenna. They could put her through whatever hell they could think of as long as her children were safe. She only wished August was; she wanted to keep him inside her forever, where he would be protected, but she realized it was impossible. The idea of him in the arms of the Monster—as she had spitefully taken to calling Rhodes in her mind—was too much to bear.

"One more lap, Amelia. NOW!"

Amy wanted to cry, to properly bawl her eyes out and not care who saw it, but all of her tears had long since been used up. Not to mention she had already sweated a good amount of liquid from her body. She picked up one foot, and then the other, and, feeling as if she was trying to run through sand, set off again.

She was almost to the end of the track when she began seeing double and slowed down, squinting against the suddenly-harsh artificial light overhead. A second later, blinding pain exploded behind her eyes, and her vision went black. Stumbling, she collapsed, her head pounding as if someone had split it in two and her neck stiff. She heard Rhodes yelling at her, but it was muted, all sound gradually fading away as she slid into a liberating unconsciousness.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, and please drop the nunchucks and pitchforks long enough to review. :D<strong>


	3. The Impossible Girl

"Excuse me, but isn't there another receptionist who works here? A Gretchen Teach, I believe?"

The Doctor and Clarion were standing in Dr. Kozar's office, where a new and much friendlier-looking girl was sitting behind the desk. Her ID tag indicated that her name was Eliza Kaye.

"Not anymore. I'm her replacement," Eliza replied with a dimpled smile.

"What happened to Gretchen?" The Doctor persisted.

"No one knows. They say she didn't come into work two days ago, and when they called her house no one answered," the receptionist supplied helpfully.

"Right. I need her address, if you please," the Doctor said in his most charming voice.

Eliza blushed, her hand automatically shooting up to smooth back her short light brown hair. Even so, she hesitated, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think I can release that information."

"You can to me." The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper and waved it at the girl. Her eyes widened.

"My apologies, Investigator. Let me find her file for you." The receptionist left her desk for a moment, passing through the door that led to the back rooms of the office. When she returned, she had a manila folder in hand, which she laid out open on the desk. "Here it is," she said, running her finger down one of the pages. "66 Harcourt Square New London. Just a few blocks away from here."

"Thank you so very much, Eliza. You've been a big help," the Doctor said warmly before turning and leaving the office with Clarion. Once they were far enough to where she believed they couldn't hear her, the receptionist sighed.

"Smooth," Clarion said with a smirk.

"It's a gift."

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><p>Gretchen Teach's flat looked as if it had been built some hundred years back—it was brick, not aluminum—and wasn't in the best part of town. The Doctor and Clarion quickly climbed the stairs to it and knocked on the door. There was no response.<p>

"Looks like that receptionist was telling the truth," Clarion noted.

"Question is, why didn't she answer the phone?" The Doctor pulled out his sonic and unlocked the door, slowly pushing it open. Seeing nothing suspicious in the foyer, he entered, followed by Clarion.

"Stars above," Clarion swore when they reached the living room.

Gretchen's body was sprawled out on the rug, blood soaking the back of her blouse. There weren't any signs of a struggle, although the window behind her was open just enough that anyone could have had a clear shot at her. Except for the fact that they were on the second floor and there were no buildings in close proximity.

The Doctor carefully knelt next to the body and scanned the wound with his screwdriver. "Laser pulse. Went straight through the heart; killed her instantly."

"When do you think it happened?" Clarion asked, stroking his chin.

"Two days ago, according to the sonic."

"You forgot to mention the bit about the laser pulse coming from an Auton gun."

Both the Doctor and Clarion started, pivoting around to find River leaning against the wall in the hallway, a none-too-pleasant expression on her face.

"River! What are you doing here?" The Doctor exclaimed, his voice squeaking a little.

"Same thing you are. Investigating."

"But—where are Ian and Jenna?"

"The TARDIS is watching them. I parked her downstairs."

"They're in there _alone?_"

"Of course."

"But they'll wreck the place!"

"I don't know about that; the TARDIS makes a pretty good babysitter. Not that I would mind too much though considering you LEFT me."

"Well, ahem, I didn't know what we would be coming up against, and, erm…hold on, how did you know Gretchen's wound was caused by an Auton?"

"You left me with a _time machine_, halfwit. I got here ten minutes before you and ran a scan on it. I cloaked the TARDIS too."

"Ah, right. Forgot about that."

"No surprise there. Now, about the dart; it did contain a very powerful knock-out drug, ten times the dosage than what's typically used, but it's common enough. I can't trace it to a specific location."

The Doctor's eyes roved over the flat, looking for one clue, any clue, that would lead him to his wife's kidnappers, but they had been very thorough. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the home aside from a dead woman.

"Doctor? Are you okay?" Clarion inquired worriedly as the Doctor fell back against a wall and slid down it, face in his hands. His fingers raked down his cheeks in despair and frustration, leaving angry red trails.

"Nothing. Not one blasted thing that could tell us where she is. How can they just take her away from me? How could I let that happen? I can't…I can't _live_ without her."

"Hey now." River walked over and sunk down so that she was level with him, taking his hands in hers before he could do any more damage to himself. "I promise we'll find her, even if we have to scour every corner of this galaxy and the next. We _will_ find her."

When her words seemed to have little effect, River looked up at her husband and mouthed _'help me get him back on the TARDIS'._ Clarion nodded and hoisted the Doctor up.

It seemed the Doctor had lost all desire to control his motor skills, for the couple had to practically drag him back to the ship. Once inside, they took him to his and Amy's room and laid him down on the bed.

"Try to get some rest, Doctor. Clear your mind," River told him, patting his arm. He didn't respond, and she took this as her cue to leave. She met Clarion at door, and they closed it behind them, going off to wrangle up Ian and Jenna.

The Doctor exhaled unevenly and stared at the constellation-speckled ceiling—the TARDIS's much more realistic version of glow-in-the-dark stars—a tear trickling out of the corner of his eye. The pattern only reminded him just how small and insignificant he was in a universe so expansive. How was he supposed to find her in all of that?

_Oh Amy. If only you could just tell me where you are,_ he thought exasperatedly.

_Doctor?_

The Doctor almost fell off the edge of the bed. The last thing he had been expecting was a reply, spoken into his thoughts. But that wasn't what surprised him most.

It was Amy's voice.

And she was speaking in Gallifreyan.

* * *

><p>Darkness, blacker and thicker than night. All noises muffled, from the shouting of the medics to the clatter of their instruments. She caught words like 'brain', 'aneurysm', and 'hemorrhage', but they drowned in the blackness, unimportant to her. She didn't know how long she lay there after the voices faded away, whether it was hours or days. She should have been in excruciating pain, but the coma swathed her in a world devoid of feeling, and for once it came as a relief. Because, suddenly, Amy Pond could think in a way she never had before.<p>

It shouldn't have been possible; it shouldn't have even happened. But Amy Pond was and ever would be an impossible girl. She'd grown up with a crack in her wall, with the very essence of time seeping into her brain for seven years of her early life. She'd been to the Fountain of Youth and back, her life cycle forever altered by it. She'd been a passenger on the TARDIS for years, attempted to read the tomes of Gallifreyan that hadn't been seen by human eyes in centuries. She'd carried a total of three Time Lord children in a body that shouldn't have been able to manage one. No, there definitely wasn't anything possible about her.

Perhaps the aneurysm had been inhibiting it all along, blocking her learning abilities, interfering with her thought process. Or maybe it was just Fate deciding to step in. Whatever the case, everything Amy had ever scanned over in the Doctor's books on the Gallifreyan language suddenly made sense to her, like puzzle pieces falling into place. Every symbol, every pronunciation, every darned roll of the 'r's had a meaning where it hadn't before. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced, like a breath of fresh air, and she relished it.

And that was when she heard the Doctor's voice resonating in her thoughts, yearning for her to tell him where she was. At first she thought it was just her own imagination, making her hear what she wanted to hear, but there was something about it, something real, that made her decide to test it.

_Doctor?_

Silence.

_Doctor? Doctor, is that you?_

Another pause. _Amy?_

Ecstasy coursed through Amy at the sound of his voice in her mind, a sound she had longed to hear for a week. _Doctor!_

_Blimey, my imagination is brilliant. I've actually convinced myself that you're talking to me right now, and in Gallifreyan no less._

_But I AM, Doctor. It's me._

_No, no, can't be. Only Time Lords can communicate telepathically._

_Well clearly there are exceptions._

_To tell you the truth, this is the most interesting conversation I've ever had with myself._

_For goodness sake, Doctor; it's really me! Remember a couple weeks ago when I told you Ian had eaten the last of the fish casserole? Well, he didn't. I did._

_That would explain the bread crumbs in bed later._ There was a hesitant pause. _Amelia Jessica Pond, is that really you?_

_YES, as I've been trying to get through your thick head for the past minute!_

_Ow! No need to shout. What I don't understand is, how did this happen? I mean, you're speaking Gallifreyan! Or thinking it, rather. Quite well, I might add._

Amy shrugged mentally. _I dunno. I think it may have something to do with the aneurysm._

_What do you mean, 'the aneurysm'?_

It was Amy's turn to pause as she tried to work out how to phrase the next bit. _Yeah, about that. It happened not too long ago, just hit out of the blue. I passed out and now here I am talking to you. Don't worry; there are a bunch of medics taking care of it. I think._

_Don't worry? Don't WORRY? How can I not worry when you tell me you're currently bleeding into your brain? What am I supposed to say, 'Well that's rotten luck mate, hope you get better'? People DIE from this, Amy!_

_Would ya calm down! If I die it might be from you bloody yellin' in my head!_

It vaguely occurred to the Doctor that she somehow managed to retain her Scottish brogue even when thinking in his language—which sounded even more beautiful coming from her, he couldn't help noticing. _Sorry,_ he thought sheepishly.

She huffed. _That's better._

_Amy, can you tell me where you are? Who's holding you there?_

_It's a warship. Well, a space warship, actually, chockfull of Autons. There are some humans—or people who look human—but they answer to the Mon—to Rhodes. Her full name's some flower, if I recall. Rhodo-whatsit._

_Rhododendron?_

_Yeah, that. I've been here a week, in the medical bay most of the time._

_Has she hurt you, Amy? Or the baby?_

There was a suspicious break before Amy answered. _She hasn't hurt August._

_But she's hurt you?_

…_She…I'm not important to her. _Amy could feel the storm brewing in the Doctor's mind and winced. _She wants August, wants him to tell her how to build something that travels through time and space so she can have 'dominion over all peoples and races' or something idiotic like that. She thinks she can adopt him and make him think he's doing it for her. And she says she's going to…get rid of me as soon as he's born._

The edges of the storm were pressing in on Amy's thoughts, making her shudder inwardly. She could feel the sheer, unbridled magnitude of what he was capable of doing to this woman once he found them, and it frightened her a little.

_Listen to me, Amy. She isn't going to get away with it. I'm going to get you out of there as soon as I can. Just stay alive, understand?_

_Gee, and I was so looking forward to dying._

_Amelia!_

_Okay, fine, I'll do my best. Under the circumstances._

_That's my girl._

Without warning, he was gone, his presence fading from her mind. At the same time, her eyes fluttered open, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

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><p><strong>Please review! :)<strong>


	4. A Storm on the Horizon

**Sorry this is a few days later than usual guys. Been pretty busy; ate out with a friend Thursday night, went to a bonfire/singing an hour and a half away Friday night, went to a going-away party for one of my friends Saturday afternoon, and worked all those mornings. And today was my 20th birthday. Woot!**

**Anyway, I won't keep you from the story any longer. Enjoy, and please review! :)**

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><p>When the Doctor came flying into the console room, River and Clarion couldn't help but be a little startled. His entire manner had changed in a matter of minutes, from disparaged and utterly crushed to something of his normal self, albeit a tad more frenzied.<p>

"What's got into you?" River questioned, watching him as he sped around the console, his arms blurs as he operated the controls. He was moving so fast that it made her dizzy to watch.

"I know where to find her. Or at least I know where to start looking!" The Doctor answered quickly.

"How did you figure it out?" Clarion asked, reeling in Ian and Jenna in preparation for when the TARDIS took off.

"A miracle! Amy just told me in my head."

Clarion and River looked at each other, both thinking that the Doctor had finally cracked under the pressure.

"Um, Doctor, are you positive you're alright?" River asked delicately.

"Of course I'm alright; I've never been better! It's like Christmas!"

"How exactly did Amy communicate with you, Doctor?" Clarion pressed.

"I told you; in my head. Telepathically, if you haven't already figured that out."

"But that's impossible," River stated.

"Yes, but that's the beauty of it. She's magnificent, isn't she?"

"And human, Doctor. Not even I can talk to you that way, and I have a Time Lady for an ancestor."

"No, it's too far back in your genetic history. Everything that's happened to Amy, however, has been recent. Besides the fact that she's magnificent all on her own. Look, I don't really know all the hows and whys, but I do know that—something—changed in her brain, something that's allowed her to communicate with me." The Doctor didn't mention either the aneurysm rupturing or that she had been conversing in Gallifreyan; he didn't want to cause alarm or further disbelief.

"So where is Amy?" Clarion cut in before River could continue arguing the point.

"Don't know."

"But I thought you said—"

"I knew where to start looking? Yes, River, thanks for paying such close attention. She said she was on a warship up in space somewhere, manned by Autons."

"Yes, finding one of those floating around sounds like a piece of cake."

"Well it has to come into port and fuel up sometime, even in space."

"What if it's nuclear-powered?"

"Please keep your bubble-bursting speculations to yourself, River."

"What? It's a viable possibility."

"And one I'm blatantly ignoring."

"Suit yourself."

"Point is, there's bound to be someone at one of the ports who will notice a rather large and unauthorized warship coming in. All we have to do is ask."

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><p>The room was as dark and silent as a grave, aside from the steady beeping of the machines as they monitored Amy and supplied her system with what it needed. There were X-rays pinned to the wall, and despite the dull ache pulsing at the base of her skull, she turned her head a few millimeters to look at the little circle beneath her brain that had caused all the trouble.<p>

Just then, the door slid open, and enough light flooded in to make Amy squint. Her spirits sunk even lower when she saw that it was Rhodes, her face emotionless as ever, her gaze calculating.

"So you're awake then."

"No need to sound so pleased," Amy said sarcastically, although her voice was rough from disuse. Rhodes ignored the snide comment.

"The electromagnetic surgery was successful, and the child was unaffected through it all. You should be thankful you had my medics saving your insignificant life."

"Why should I if you're just going to take it later?"

"Well these are the last moments you'll ever spend with your son. Just something to consider."

Rhodes ignored the stinging curses hurled at her as she left the room, her boots clicking on the linoleum floor. Amy fell back against the pillow, her hands sliding over her distended abdomen.

"She won't get away with it; I can promise you that much," She murmured, her fingers tracing circles. "Your father will come for the both of us. He won't let us down, August."

The baby pressed against one of his mother's hands almost as if in response, and Amy laughed softly, her heart aching nevertheless. Although she had faith in her Doctor, she couldn't help remembering the twelve years it had taken for him to return to her the first time. What if he arrived too late, after August's birth and her execution? What if he never found her at all?

The machine recording the beats of Amy's fragile heart sounded to her like a time bomb counting down the seconds she had left to live. She thought about all the years she'd spent developing a firewall between her and others, making people believe she was invincible, downplaying her humanity every chance she got, yet still ending up here, as powerless as she had always feared. Not even dying would provide the escape she longed for; she was responsible for many more lives than just her own. It was something that never left her mind.

Rhodes kept Amy abed for the next three weeks, and by the close of the second one the ginger was almost missing her runs around the ship's jogging track. It felt as if the walls were pressing in on her, suffocating her, and there was nothing she could do but lie there and listen to the beeping of the machine, sleep the rest of the time, and eat when she was forced to. Sometimes August decided the situation was too boring and kicked with all his might, making her grimace and wish even more fervently that the Doctor was there with his skillful, soothing hands and calming words.

She tried to contact him, mentally again, on more than one occasion, but she was met with something akin to a busy signal, preventing her from entering his mind. She knew it was because he was preoccupied with his search for her and probably wasn't even aware of her attempts, but it nevertheless left her feeling dejected.

And then, when she was just about to give up hope, she heard his voice enter her thoughts.

_Amelia?_

Amy laughed aloud in pure relief, her eyes closing. _Ya finally talking to me again?_

_Sorry. Been a bit busy._

_So I've noticed._

_How long has it been?_

_Three weeks._

_Oops._

_Yeah, oops. That's a full month, buster. Plus the week before._

_Did I say I was sorry?_

_Not enough times._

_Well then, sorry a million times over._

_That's better._

_Amy, I need to know if you're okay._

_Fine as I can be, I suppose._

_And the aneurysm?_

_Gone. They did surgery on it._

_And August?_

_Active. Seriously, I think I'm going to have permanent bruises._

_That's my boy!_

_Thanks. Thanks a lot._

_What? He's just a sturdy little lad._

_With especially sturdy feet._

_You say that like it's a bad thing._

_It is for my insides._

_Only for a short while longer. It's not like he's going to be in your womb forever._

_Which reminds me; you plan on gettin' here anytime soon? Because Dr. Kozar did say he'd come in the fifth or sixth month, and I'm five months pregnant now._

_Right, yes, I know. Took us a little while and more than one shady fueling port visit, but we found you. Give me five minutes._

_Hmm, wonder where I've heard that before._

_I promise, Amelia. An entire army couldn't stand in my way._

_Yep, that's pretty much what you're up against._

_Nothing I can't handle._

_Just do me a favor and don't die, okay?_

_Me? I wouldn't dare._

_You better not._

_Love you too, Amy._

_Love ya more._

The Doctor withdrew from her mind, and her eyes flew open. Without even realizing she was doing it, she began counting the seconds, ticking off each minute that passed.

She hadn't even made it to three minutes when the room shook violently, almost tipping her bed over. The lights went out, replaced by the flashing red of warning lights and an earsplitting alarm. A moment later, the door slid open, and Rhodes marched in, an armed Auton right behind her. Although she looked formidable as always, there was something new in her face, something Amy had never seen before: fear.

"Come with me, girl!" Rhodes barked, unlocking Amy's shackle and hauling her out of the room. Despite the pain from the woman's iron-like grip, Amy was grinning.

"It's him, isn't it; the Doctor," she said, unable to contain her excitement.

"No! Of course not. Just some mechanical difficulties in the engine room," Rhodes responded, far too quickly.

"I told you. I told you he would come. Bet you're concerned now, aren't ya?" Amy continued triumphantly.

"Silence!" In one fluid motion, Rhodes' hand collided with Amy's cheek, the sharp-edged onyx ring on her finger slicing across her skin and drawing blood. Amy bit her tongue to prevent herself from crying out, focusing on the fact that the Doctor was nearby. Nothing else mattered now.

Rhodes flew through the corridors, dragging Amy with her as if she were no more than a rag doll, her faithful Auton close on their heels. The escape pods were at the other end of the ship, but due to her speed she was making good time. In fact, she was almost there.

"Excuse me!"

Rhodes skidded to a halt, her eyes wide and her lips pressed in a thin line. A man stepped around the corner ahead of them, his index fingers pressed together meditatively. As he approached them, her grip tightened on Amy's arm.

"Tsk Tsk, Rhodes. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to take things that didn't belong to you?" The Doctor's voice sounded genuinely inquisitive, but there were undertones of danger in it, like thunder rumbling in the distance, or the bitter chill before a blizzard. "I'll put it as simply as I can, madam. Give. Me. Back. My. Wife."


	5. Something About River

**Just to warn you guys, my internet is currently on the fritz again. It only works every five seconds, just about. We're getting a new modem/router on the 5th of July, but until then I'm afraid the updates aren't going to be very consistent. I apologize in advance.**

**Anyway, enjoy, and please review! :)**

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><p>Rhodes laughed derisively, making no move to release her captive, who was straining against her grip. "I still have nothing to fear from you, Doctor. Scrambling my ship's controls was ingenious, I must admit, but you seem to have forgotten I have an entire army of Autons who follow my every command." At this, her Auton guard raised both hands at the Doctor, gun barrels sliding out of his plastic palms.<p>

"Well that won't be an issue much longer." River suddenly stepped around the corner, carrying her largest and finest blaster rifle next to the late Old Bess (may she rest in peace). She eyed both Rhodes and the Auton as if they were no more than annoying flies.

"River! I thought I told you to stay and help Clarion dismantle the Auton control center," the Doctor reprimanded.

"Do you know what extremely dull work that is? Besides, he and the children seemed perfectly capable of accomplishing it without me. They really took your 'hit it with a stick if you have to' advice to heart." River turned her attention on the people in front of them again. "Amy dear, how nice to see you again after so long! Goodness, you're looking…round."

"Oi! It's not like I'm the only one who's put on a few pounds."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you mean," River said airily. "Hang on a moment."

There was a loud bang as the Auton exploded, decommissioned by a pulse from River's blaster. A moment before he had been taking aim at her, urged by a whispered command from Rhodes.

"I should warn you that River Song—er, River Swift, I suppose; still not used to that—here isn't a woman to be tussled with. She's quite fond of toys that go boom, if you catch my drift," the Doctor remarked in a tone better suited for things like commenting on the weather.

Rhodes gulped. She wasn't stupid; she could see all her windows of opportunity closing one by one with a resounding snap. She backed away, pulling Amy with her, her iron-strong arms locked around the girl's shoulders and arms so tightly she couldn't wriggle herself free. Amy didn't know what species Rhodes was, but she had decided by now that she wasn't human.

"I'm pretty sure I've made myself quite clear, Rhododendron," the Doctor announced as he approached her, every step she took matched by two from him. "You took something—or rather, two things—that belong to me; a very, very bad thing to even consider doing. And not only that, but you dared to harm and cause pain to one of them—my _wife_—which is definitely on the list of 'stuff to absolutely positively never ever do unless you want to risk the Doctor's wrath'. In fact, it's at the tip top of it, in first place."

The Doctor was dangerously close now, his eyes burning like fire on water. Without warning, Rhodes extracted a small laser pistol from her fitted jacket, moving with lightning speed. She pressed it to Amy's temple, who gasped in response.

"Don't you dare!" The Doctor's voice rumbled with anger, but there was a hint of panic to it as well.

Rhodes grinned and began edging, slowly but surely, further down the hallway. "Try to kill me, or follow me, and your precious wife is dead. Do you understand?"

River shouted the most derogative term she could think of at the woman, hating that her blaster had just been rendered useless. She so desperately wanted to use it against this monster who had kidnapped one of her best friends.

"And what will it profit you? If she dies, so does the child," the Doctor pointed out as calmly as he could manage.

"I'm not an idiot, Doctor. I know how much you want to kill me; I have no qualms about either her or the child dying in my place."

The Doctor locked his gaze on Amy's. Her beautiful eyes were huge, brimming with terror. Not for her own life, no; she was more concerned about losing him, and their children. It broke the Doctor's hearts.

_Amy…I'm so dreadfully sorry, Amelia._

Even the voice of his thoughts was riddled with anguish and a terrible helplessness. It made Amy livid to see him like this, to watch as Rhodes so easily and maliciously twisted his emotions to suit her own purposes.

_Don't worry, Doctor. I've got this._

Before the Doctor could question her or even react, Amy intentionally went limp, the sudden weight throwing Rhodes off balance for a moment. It was in this short second that the ginger somehow snatched the pistol and tossed it to River, who caught it deftly.

"Worthless girl!" Rhodes hissed. She shoved Amy away from her with so much force that she stumbled several yards forward, her arms flying out in a vain effort to regain her balance. Rhodes was already halfway down the corridor.

The Doctor moved so quickly that he appeared to be no more than a blur. His only goal was to catch Amy before jarring contact with the floor caused injury, and he hadn't the time to do it gracefully. They fell together, her landing on top of him, knocking the breath out of him. Locking his arms around her to prevent her from rolling off, he lowered her gently to the floor.

Once River saw that Amy was safe, she raced after Rhodes, armed with both her blaster and the small pistol and the bloodlust in her eyes.

"River, no!" The Doctor yelled, although his words fell on deaf ears. He scrambled to his feet, pulling Amy up with him. "Must she always do that?"

"'Course. She's River," Amy said a little breathlessly. "And personally I don't mind if she gets ahold of Rhodes."

"It's not Rhodes I'm concerned about," the Doctor said, clearly distracted.

Amy got the feeling that there was something he wasn't telling her, something monumentally important in some way. It did not seem, however, a good time to pursue it, not while she was still aboard her prison. Or while August was digging his limbs into her side.

The sharp intake of breath brought the Doctor's attention back to current events. He grasped her arms firmly, steadying her just in time. "Amy, are you alright?" He demanded, his eyes flooded with worry. Every mark on her, from the long scrape on her cheek to the bruises Rhodes had inflicted, didn't escape his notice. He saw the dark circles under her fatigued eyes, the tangled, drooping state of her formerly-glorious red hair, the lack of meat on the pale arms that were braced against his and on her frame in general, how she stood like a horse that had at long last been broken. It was not a welcome sight.

"Oh Amelia, what did she do to you?" The Doctor sighed, folding her into his chest so close it was like they were one person. It alarmed him that he could feel a good portion of her bones jutting into him, the only exceptions being her ample bosom and the swell of her belly.

"It's nothin'. It's all over now."

"Amelia Pond, it is most definitely not nothing," the Doctor said sternly, tucking a thin strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes closed on their own accord at his touch, and suddenly he was kissing her with all the yearning that had built up over the recent month, everything that was her saturating his senses. Thirsty for him as well, she responded in like manner, accidentally biting his lip more than once. He didn't mind.

Later, when they managed to separate, Amy smiled. "So we go find River now, yeah?"

"_You_, my magnificent wife, are not going anywhere but straight to the TARDIS," the Doctor told her, swinging her up into his arms. It took little time to adjust to her weight—whatever she had lost, August had gained, which evened it out—and he was soon traveling through the corridors as swiftly as if he hadn't been carrying her.

"But what about River? We can't just leave her," Amy protested.

"Once I know for certain that you're safe, I'll go fetch her."

They passed over a metal walkway between corridors that was suspended in the air, and looking down, Amy saw that Clarion and his charges must have succeeded in their task. The legions of Autons were either slumped over where they stood or had toppled to the floor, their limbs bent at inhuman angles. It was a great relief to her after what she had been through. She rested her head against the Doctor's chest, both his scent and the reassuring beat of his hearts calming her nerves.

"Doctor, Amy!"

Clarion came running when he saw them, his familiar face splitting into a smile. Amy reached out her hand as if to make sure he was real and not an apparition, and he clasped it tightly in his.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, Your Majesty," Amy said, smiling in return.

"Clarion to you, and don't you forget that, Mrs. Pond."

Without warning, the two little whirlwinds Amy had pined for over the course of past several weeks careened around the corner. When they saw their mother, they shouted excitedly and made a beeline for her. The Doctor set her on her feet, and she dropped to the floor just in time to catch them in each arm. The speed at which they had been running bowled her over, and they all ended up in a heap on the floor, laughing and kissing and, in Amy's case, crying.

"Please don't ever leave again, Mummy!" Jenna begged, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Never. I'm never leavin' you three again, I promise." With some help from the Doctor, Amy sat up, still hugging her children close to her.

"We need to get out of here. The controls are completely out of commission, and there's no telling when this ship will get pulled into some planet's gravitational field," the Doctor urged.

"Hold on, where's River?" Clarion asked.

"She went after Rhodes." The Doctor hoisted Amy up and nudged her towards him. "Here, make sure Amy gets back to the TARDIS. I'm going after her."

Clarion didn't look entirely pleased with the plan—he'd rather go after his wife himself than wait around worrying that something had happened to her—but from his experience in leading an army and ruling a kingdom he knew better than to break rank. Until the rescue mission was completed, the Doctor's word was law.

"Come along, Amy," Clarion said, holding out his arm so she could lean on him for support. She did so reluctantly, glancing at the Doctor one last time.

"You better come back," she told him firmly.

"Of course I will. I always do." The Doctor planted a kiss on her forehead before herding Ian and Jenna after them. Then he pivoted around and dashed down the corridor.

"Idiot," Amy muttered. She let Clarion escort her to the TARDIS, which was tucked innocently into the corner of the dismantled control room. The blue box had never looked more beautiful—or sexy, as the Doctor would argue. As she entered it, she swore she heard the TARDIS sigh at the same time she did. They had missed each other dearly.

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit. You look…tired." In reality she looked a lot worse than just tired, but Clarion refrained from saying so as he cleaned the scratch from Rhodes's ring on her cheek.

Amy shook her head. I'm waitin' right here until he gets back," she informed him, indicating the chair near the console that she was sitting in. She crossed her arms as if it wasn't already obvious that she had no intention of budging. Both Ian and Jenna attempted to climb up on her lap, but seeing as the spot was already occupied by August, it wasn't exactly working out for them. Amy laughed at their antics, ruffling their heads in turn, but her thoughts were soon drawn away by something else.

"Clarion, is there something wrong with River?" Amy asked suddenly.

The king was mildly surprised by this. "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, just the way the Doctor was acting…I've never seen him this concerned for her welfare."

"Perhaps losing you made him more cautious."

"Maybe." Forgetting her dogged commitment to stay in her seat, Amy stood up and began to pace around the console, unable to remain in one place. At one point she tripped a little—she had yet to outgrow her clumsiness—and her hand flew out to steady herself on the console's screen. In the process she accidentally brushed against the dial that turned it on, and an image came into focus, words scrolling across the background. After reading it, Amy's eyes widened.

"Clarion, I think you should see this."


	6. Take Two, They're Small

**Only three days until I have fully-working internet! Seems so far away...**

**Reviews very much loved! :)**

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><p>The Doctor found River not far from where they had encountered Rhodes, crouched down and studying something on the floor that looked suspiciously like a pool of blood, except that it had a bluish tint to it.<p>

"River, what happened? Where's Rhodes?"

"She vanished. Literally; I'm guessing she used a teleport or some such device. But not before I shot her." River stood up and shouldered her blaster. "She may have used the last of her strength on the teleport, but there's no way she's not dead," She told the Doctor. "The pulse went straight through her heart—assuming she had one. Although I'm not inclined to think so considering how she treated Amy and what she wanted to do with August."

"Are you alright?" The Doctor questioned.

"Of course I am. A little frustrated she got away is all." It seemed she had spoken too soon, however, for all of a sudden she doubled over, her arms wrapped around her middle and a green look on her face.

"River?" The Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine. Just a bit of a stomachache," River said, although it looked very much like she was going to be sick any moment. She closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling to pass.

"Yes, I'd expect as much. Now come on; Clarion and Amy are waiting."

River accepted the Doctor's arm until she started feeling better again, at which point he had to race to keep up with her.

"River! You're okay," Clarion said as soon as the pair entered the TARDIS, enormous relief shining in his violet eyes. He jumped off the console platform and pulled her into an embrace, blaster and all.

"Why wouldn't I be? And why is everyone treating me like I shouldn't?"

Clarion, the Doctor, and Amy all glanced each other.

"Here. Have a look," Amy spoke up before anyone had a chance to speak. She grabbed River's hand and led her up to the console, turning the screen so she could see it.

The woman's first reaction was that of astonishment. Then she turned to the Doctor, transparently displeased with him. "You _scanned_ me and didn't even bother telling me this?"

The Doctor cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, well, you see, I, erm…I was waiting for the right moment."

"And _when_, by your standards, is the right time to tell a woman she's pregnant?"

"Preferably, never. Apparently it's more dangerous than I thought."

River snorted. Her eyes returned to the test on the screen. Two months along, and she hadn't even suspected…maybe once, but only briefly, and she'd dismissed it as a fluke. Monthly bleedings occasionally skipped, after all, and she hadn't even noticed when it had.

"You also forgot to mention that she's pregnant with twins; a boy and a girl," Amy said with an excited grin.

River's eyes widened. The dizzy feeling returned in full force, but Clarion caught her before she toppled off the edge of the platform. He lifted the nylon strap the blaster was attached to over her head and set it aside so that it was no longer unbalancing her.

"Maybe you should go have a lie-down. It is quite a lot to take in," Clarion suggested, his arms wrapping around her waist. The whole of his attention was immediately focused on her.

"I'm not the least bit tired. Besides, the Doctor's not getting rid of me that easily," River said, casting a glare at the Time Lord who was currently piloting the TARDIS off of the warship—stabilizers once more in use. He ignored her to the best of his ability, although it was clear he could feel her glare and was none too comfortable with it.

"Well I think it's wonderful," Amy announced, squeezing River's hand.

"Not two at once," River countered.

"Ian and Jenna were born six months and a couple weeks apart, which is almost like having twins. You'll be fine."

"I wish I had your bravery."

"Says the woman who chased down my kidnapper." Amy's smile fell. "Speakin' of which, what happened to her?"

"I shot her. I'm pretty sure I killed her; she somehow managed to teleport away at the last second, however."

This didn't seem to reassure Amy. All of a sudden her vibrancy faded, her shoulders slumping. The Doctor, who had just succeeded in landing the TARDIS on Anavrin, was instantly at her side. "It's alright, Amy. Even if she did survive, I'm not going to let that monster anywhere near you again," he told her comfortingly, hugging her to him. He looked over her head at Clarion and River. "I think we should call it a day; it's been a very long and rather difficult one for all of us."

"Can I offer you a suite in the palace? We just recently renovated the finest rooms, second only to the Royal Chambers," Clarion said.

The Doctor and Amy locked eyes, and a look passed between them as if they were communicating without speaking—which, considering Amy's new ability, they probably were.

"Thanks, but no thanks. We've both been away from the TARDIS for far too long," the Doctor answered.

Clarion dipped his head in concession. "I understand completely. If you like, River and I could watch the children until Amy is better restored to health."

"I believe I'll take you up on that," the Doctor said gratefully.

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><p>"Honestly, there's no need to make such a fuss over me," Amy mumbled wearily, the wonderfully warm, sudsy water of the bath loosening every muscle in her overtaxed body. At the moment the Doctor was lathering mango-scented shampoo into her hair, his sleeves rolled up past his elbows, gradually working out every knot and massaging her scalp at the same time.<p>

"I'm perfectly entitled to make a fuss over you." His lip curled, but his blue eyes were bright with remorse. "I nearly lost you."

Amy smiled, her eyes sliding shut. It was a lucky thing that the tub was equipped with a plastic pillow for her to rest her head on, for she feared she would pass out at any moment. "Ya know, you still showed up at the wrong time."

"Did not. More like the nick of time."

"It was three minutes, not five like you said. You were two minutes early."

"My apologies. Next time I'll try to be more precise and _not_ come in the nick of time."

"Oh shut it."

The Doctor chuckled and leaned over to kiss her forehead, having completely forgotten about the soapsuds on it. He ended up spitting them out afterward, much to her amusement.

"Alright, enough of that. Up you go." The Doctor lifted Amy out of the bath and wrapped her in a soft blue towel, then carried her to bed. After drying her hair, he ran a brush through it until it was smooth and lustrous once again, tucking her under the covers when he was done. She sighed and sunk into the comfortable mattress, and as soon as he joined her on the other side, she wrapped her limbs around him. Her lips found his, desperate and insistent, trying to make up for the time they'd been apart, but at some point he grudgingly stopped her.

"You need to rest, Amelia. And we don't need August coming earlier than he needs to," the Doctor said rationally.

Amy pouted, her finger tracing circles down his broad jawline. "I hate it when you get all voice-of-reason-y."

"So do I, but it's for the best."

"But it's been a month and a week, Doctor. I never stopped thinking about you the entire time."

"Neither did I. Listen, Amy, about what happened that morning…I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have allowed them to get away with taking you."

"And what were else were you supposed to do, moron? You had a drugged-up dart stickin' out of your neck!"

"I should have been more prepared…"

"How, exactly; by wearing an extremely thick scarf? Look, you can't be a superhero all the time, and I wouldn't want you any other way. I love you, my Raggedy Man." She felt him smile as he kissed from behind her ear to the hollow of her neck, letting her know he loved her too and making her skin burn. "I still can't believe River's having twins. Although you should have told someone once you found out."

"Amy, you know I'm not the best at breaking news to people. It would have come out wrong, or at the wrong moment. It's a little difficult keeping up with your human customs."

"Well one thing's for sure. If they're anything like her, she's going to have her hands full," Amy remarked with a chuckle, laying her head on his chest. Within seconds she was fast asleep.

* * *

><p>"Will you stop acting like I'm going to break any second now?"<p>

"Sorry, it's just that this is all new to me. I still can't believe I'm going to be a father. I've never been a father."

"And I've never been a mother." River sank onto a velvet couch, watching Ian and Jenna play a game of their own devising involving paperweights and writing utensils they'd found inside an old writing desk. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this, especially twins.

Sensing her disquiet, Clarion sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "This isn't something to be nervous about, love. It's a blessing; something to celebrate."

"I know. It's just…these aren't just things, Clarion. They're people. Individuals with minds that will one day need to be shaped, consciences that will have to be molded. Not to mention all the care and attention they'll require during their early years and on. Anything could go wrong."

"But they have you and me for parents. Therein lies the difference." Clarion toyed with her flaxen curls, playing them through his fingers. He pressed the ends of them to his lips, then moved on to her cheek, planting feather-light kisses until he reached her mouth. River quickly forgot all of her qualms as she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him nearer.

"So when do you think we should tell Anavrin that it will soon be gaining a prince and a princess?" River asked when they separated, a smile dancing on her lips.


	7. Telepathy and Mosaic Sunsets

**So...NEW MODEM/ROUTER!**

**Yes, the day has finally come when I can use the internet without having to refresh the page or restart the computer every five seconds to get it back. I'm also pretty excited about the fact that the modem and router are combined (before we had two separate devices, and the wires connecting them were constantly getting disturbed and therefore shorted out. Plus the Netgear router was a piece of crap anyway). We had some issues with the setup due to a password that refused to be accepted, but we got it all straightened out and I am very much enjoying connectivity :)**

**Sorry about the wait. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"I hate to give those medics credit, but your gestational diabetes has been completely neutralized."<p>

The Doctor was giving Amy a full inspection in the medic bay. They'd discovered that August was perfectly healthy—despite the fact that he was no closer to deciding he wanted to see the light of day yet. Aside from a smattering of bruises and cuts, Amy was also fine, although it seemed her hormones were still raging considering her habit of snogging the Doctor every chance she got. Not that that was anything new, of course. And seeing as he'd missed her just as much, he was responsible for initiating about fifty percent of those sessions.

"All that trouble she went through, just to get our son. Hardly seems worth it," Amy commented as she swung her legs over the side of the gurney. They were even slimmer and paler than usual, and the Doctor wondered not for the first time how she managed to stand on them without them snapping like toothpicks.

"To someone hungry for power, anything is worth it," he explained stiffly, still harboring an animosity towards the woman who had sought to take her life.

"Well she picked the wrong Time Lord to steal from," Amy said. The Doctor smiled, and their foreheads met.

"I think she underestimated you most of all," he told her, his voice gentle. It took a moment for Amy to register that he had switched from English to Gallifreyan.

"A lot of people—and aliens—do." Amy's transfer from one dialect to another was surprisingly seamless. Until now she'd been afraid to speak in the tongue of the Time Lords aloud, sure that it either wouldn't come out the same way as in her brain or she'd punch a hole in the universe somehow.

The Doctor laughed delightedly and kissed her again. "You have no idea how wonderful my language sounds coming from your lips," he told her.

"I'm not entirely massacring it, am I?"

"Never. I think it sounds even better with a Scottish accent."

Amy smiled and leaned forward. "I'll keep that in mind for later," she whispered beguilingly in his ear before nibbling ever so lightly on the lobe. He groaned and dove for her lips, but she pulled away at the last second, ever the tease. "So do you think Ian and Jenna are behaving alright?"

It was a wonder how quickly this sobered the Doctor. "Oh dear, I nearly forgot!" He cried, racing out of the room. Amy chuckled and followed him.

* * *

><p>When the Doctor and Amy found River and Clarion, it was to discover that they had already put the children down for their naps in an enormous and extremely squishy queen-sized bed occupying one of the guest rooms, the blankets tucked snugly around their tiny bodies. One could easily mistake them for angels in that state, although it would be the only occasion.<p>

"Well, Amy. You're looking very much improved," River noted once they had all filed out into the hall and closed the door behind them.

"First good night of sleep I've gotten in a month," Amy admitted, stretching out her back. August's weight consistently made it ache these days. "I can't believe you actually got them to take a nap. What'd ya do, knock them out?"  
>River chuckled. "Clarion played tag with them until they passed out. It was simple, really."<p>

"We are talking about the same Ian and Jenna, correct? As in, mine and Amy's children? Perhaps we should check to make sure they haven't been swapped for replicates," the Doctor said, casting a wary eye at the door.

"I assure you they're the same ruffians you left in our charge," Clarion promised with a twinkle in his eye. His arm threaded around his wife's waist, his hand settling tenderly on her stomach, which was just a little less flat than it used to be.

"Looks like you two are cut out to be parents after all." Amy smiled. "How are you feelin', River?"

"Oh, I'm right as rain."

"For now. She was sick all over my boots an hour ago. I had to toss them," Clarion remarked affectionately, kissing the top of River's head.

Amy glanced at the Doctor, who took a considerably large step back.

"Don't even think about it," he told her. "This is my favorite pair."

"For your information, idiot, I'm not feeling the faintest bit ill at the moment. Although I will keep that in mind for later," she shot back, eyes narrowed.

The Doctor coughed and straightened his bowtie nervously.

"So when are you two—or should I say five—heading off again?" River inquired.

"If you didn't mind us imposing, I thought we might stick around for a bit," the Doctor replied.

"Doctor!" Amy said indignantly.

"Just until August is born, Amy. We don't have that much longer."

"But—it's been _years_, Doctor, since I've been _anywhere_, the last part of which I spent shackled to a bed in a medical bay. _Please_."

"Amelia." The Doctor entwined his fingers with hers, but she pulled away, crossing her arms stubbornly atop her rather expansive belly. He sighed. "Do you remember what happened when Jenna was born, and how I was unable to reach you? I don't want that to happen again, Amy. I couldn't bear it."

Amy bit her lip.

_It's only for a few more weeks, I promise._

_How am I supposed to believe that? You've lied to me plenty enough before._

Amy's thoughts dripped with cynicism, and the Doctor actually flinched as the words echoed in his mind. He caught the edges of memories, and he didn't have to pry to know they were of every instance in which he had ever failed her.

_Oh Pond._ If there was a mental equivalent of touching foreheads, Amy was pretty sure the Doctor was doing it right then. _I truly am sorry, but you must understand that everything and anything I've done or tried to do up to this point has been to keep you safe. I love you a great deal too much to lose you._

Their foreheads did meet physically after this, and Amy's lip curled. _Well the wee fella better get a move on, then. I don't fancy being the size of an elephant for forever._

_You're not the size of an elephant, dear._

_Shut up. Of course I am._

_Okay, maybe a very small one._

_Oi! _Amy slapped him—not hard enough to leave a mark, but enough to have him massaging his cheek afterward.

_Ow! Blimey, sometimes I think it'd be better to just not talk at all around you females._

_Sounds like a top-notch idea to me._

A second later Amy roughly captured his lips with her own.

"Pardon the intrusion, but I just have to say that this whole conversation-in-your-heads thing is plain out bizarre to watch," River interjected when it seemed they'd suffocate from lack of air. With much effort they managed to separate.

"We'd be more than happy to accommodate you in the palace. I'll have some rooms prepared," Clarion said bemusedly. "In the meantime, would you mind taking lunch with us? I can have Esther watch the children for you. She's been employed at the palace these past four years."

"That would be delightful," the Doctor responded, a little out of breath. He caressed his thumb down Amy's jaw to her chin, placing one last kiss before they followed their hosts down to the banquet hall.

* * *

><p>"So what have we missed while we've been gone?" Amy asked as she and River walked together through a high-ceilinged gallery, the great arches interspersed along the walls on either side of them revealing the glorious Anavrinian sunset, the sky awash with the hues of a million precious jewels. The gallery nearly paled in comparison, even with the expert craftsmanship that had been put into it. Small mosaic tiles, colorful and sparkling cheerfully in the late light, bedecked the walls in detailed depictions of historical events. Even the floor was ornamented thusly, the patterns that had been created done so with such skill that one could believe, in certain lights, that there was a river flowing under one's feet, eddying lazily like a sidewinding snake all the way to the end of the extensive hall. Where the gilded walls met the beginning of the ceiling, there was a profusion of carvings where molding would generally be, of blossoms painted with colors so rich they nearly gave off a scent, fruit luscious enough to eat, and feathers and leaves that almost seemed to sway in the breeze. The ceiling itself was a masterpiece, fashioned of several arced stained glass panes, the designs of which mimicked swirling clouds on a blue sky day in the Impressionist style. Amy marveled at all of this, amazed that it had been restored so successfully, especially considering the gallery was not the grandest part of the palace.<p>

"A plethora of reconstruction, mainly. There was so much work that had to be done after the mess the pirates left," River replied solemnly. "Both Clarion and I were so worn out by the end of each day that we sometimes barely made it to bed."

"Which explains why these twins have been so long in coming," Amy said with a devious grin. It had been two weeks since hers and the Doctor's return, and River's abdomen was noticeably a bit more curved than before, despite the billowy style of clothing she had adopted as of late.

"If you had told me that I'd be pregnant with twins at the age of thirty-five, I would have never believed you," River said with a small chuckle, her hands fluttering around her stomach as if she wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Amy recognized it well: new mother apprehension.

"At least you can keep track of how old you are. I think I'm twenty-five now—or twenty-six—technically speaking. It's difficult when your body doesn't change even a little bit as the years go by—and when you travel in a time machine for a portion of those years—but the Doctor somehow keeps up with my birthdays. He doesn't want me to miss out on anything, bless him."

River smiled. "It's funny, isn't it, how far we've all come? I remember the first time I ever saw you, chasing after me at that Scottish festival even though carrying Ian had you sick as a dog at the time. I had pretty much made up my mind by then to be completely independent for the rest of my life, traveling the universe all on my own. Men always thought me a mite…brazen."

Amy laughed at this. "A mite? You're worse than I am!"

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out." River rolled her eyes. "Yet here I am, married to the best man I've ever met. Clarion isn't like the ones who thought I was too bold. He likes me that way; says that's why I make such a good queen, although I'm not inclined to agree with him in that respect."

"I do. You two have accomplished so much together." Amy gazed out through one of the arches at the city, the towers and tall buildings of which seemed to glow in the fading sun. Anavrin was at the height of its power, both commercially and militarily, thanks to the determination of its rulers. "And your people love you. I only wish we could have come for a visit, to see all this in progress, at some point during those four years."

"Except it was for the best that you didn't."

August shifted into a new position, and Amy laid a hand over the bump, the warship, Rhodes, and the treatment she'd received from her still fresh in her mind. She could still hear the emotion in the Doctor's voice, the panic when he'd found out about the ruptured artery that could very well have killed her. It had been relief enough just to be able to communicate with him, even if only telepathically with light years in between them.

"It was a miracle he managed to evade that heartless woman for that length of time. He was so worried about you, you know, when he lost you; I've never seen a man look so defeated before that moment when I asked where you were. As if he was already dying inside." River's blue eyes softened. "You're his whole world."

"Not just me," Amy said pensively, her hand still on her stomach. A smile suddenly flickered across her face. "I just wish this little guy would hurry up and come out of me. It's going on his sixth month and he still hasn't shown any signs of wanting to see what I look like from the outside," she remarked, attempting to press the strained vertebrates of her back into place.

"Maybe you should lie down," River suggested, concerned.

"Goodness, no. I'm hoping all this walkin' might shake him out somehow."

"I can tell what a fine mother you are."

Amy only chuckled, linking arms with her friend as they continued through the gallery.

* * *

><p><strong>Just want to apologize if I mess up the ages of any of the characters. You might not think so at first, but after 103 chapters of a story (from Fountain of Youth to this one), the fact that time traveling kind of messes with the whole calendar deal, and that little Amy-doesn't-age thing, it's pretty hard to calculate how old everyone is supposed to be. Please bear with me; my brain is fried enough as it is. :D<strong>


	8. South Wales in Autumn

Two days later, with the combined efforts of the Doctor, Clarion, and River, Amy was forcibly put on bed rest, after she'd collapsed for the fourth time that week. The Doctor plied her with all the vitamins and supplements he could get his hands on, and although her health did improve, August still refused to enter the world. This left Amy restless, even more so due to the fact that she was confined to either the bed or a couch or chair closest in proximity to the Doctor. Both of them were on tenterhooks, anxious for the arrival of their third child yet deprived of it every day that passed, and the Doctor was starting to worry that something was wrong. River reminded him that his wife's body may have grown stronger after carrying Ian and Jenna, and that the duration of the pregnancy was most likely perfectly normal, but this only quelled his worry a little.

And then one day, something happened that completely took everyone's mind off August's lateness.

"AAAAMMMYYYY!"

The Doctor skittered at full tilt into the parlor where River and Amy were sitting, his hands clutching and badly wrinkling a sheet of TARDIS-blue paper and a horrified expression on his face.

"Okay, I think I just lost a bit of my hearing," Amy responded, massaging her eardrums. "Is something the matter? What's that?"

"A fax, from the TARDIS phone."

"Since when do we have a fax machine?"

"That's beside the point. Just wait until I get my hands on him!"

Ignoring the no-standing-unless-absolutely-necessary ban that had been placed on her, Amy pushed herself off the couch and snatched the paper from him. After scanning it, she squealed excitedly.

"What in the world is going on?" River asked, curious now.

"Jack and Jenny are getting married!" Amy exclaimed. The Doctor groaned, as if the words were painful to hear, but she was absolutely thrilled, and was even bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Are they really?" River looked just as excited as Amy.

Amy nodded and glanced at the invitation again. "The date's set for September twenty-fifth of 2011."

The Doctor groaned again.

"Oh come off it, Doctor. This was bound to happen eventually," Amy scolded. "You should be happy for them!"

"He's just cross about having Jack for a son-in-law," River commented knowingly.

"_Please_ don't use that term. I just had breakfast."

"So we're going, yeah? We could leave right now!" Amy said, her hands clasped under her chin.

The Doctor looked at her with uncertainty. "I don't think it would be a wise idea, all things considered. I don't want to take any risks with you."

Amy rolled her eyes. "It's a _wedding_, for goodness' sake. I think I'll be fine, especially since August seems rather fond of staying inside me at the moment."

It was clear the Doctor was still worried. River decided to step in.

"How about Clarion and I come along? That way we can keep an eye on Amy and the children both while you walk your daughter down the aisle."

"Er, come to think of it, River, I'm not so sure you should be going anywhere either."

This, it turned out, was a very wrong thing to say. River pulled herself up to her full height, her arms crossed. "_I_ am only three months pregnant, with an entire six months ahead of me, and in no more danger going to a wedding than I am talking to you right now. I am also not under your supervision. Like it or not, we're coming."

"I agree with River," Amy announced.

The Doctor sighed. "Alright, alright! We'll go. But if anything happens to either of you—"

"Nothing's going to happen." Amy slid her arms around his waist and pressed herself as close to him as she could, her belly making this rather challenging. "Although you are sweet when you get all protective," she added, fingering his bowtie.

"Right, that settles it. I'll go fetch Clarion," River announced, leaving the room before she saw more than she wanted to.

* * *

><p>The first day of autumn in South Wales was a beautiful one, the leaves on the trees just starting to decide they wanted to be a different color, but Jenny barely noticed it. All that was on her mind was the wedding that was to take place in two days, and the fact that her father still had yet to make an appearance. And give his approval.<p>

"We sent the invitation months ago. Don't you think he would have showed up by now?" Jenny asked her fiancé nervously. "Do you suppose it got lost somehow?"

"I don't think the TARDIS would let the Doctor miss something as important as his daughter's wedding," Jack answered, his greatcoat billowing behind him in the wind. They were supposed to be in the middle of preparations, but both had agreed on escaping the stress of it for an hour or so, leaving everything in Gwen's hands. To be honest, she was much better at it than them, and they figured she wouldn't mind taking full control. Although Jack warned they might return to find more flowers and ribbon bows than they had originally intentioned.

"True. But then where is he?" Jenny played with the end of her ponytail nervously.

"Don't worry about it, babe," Jack said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders reassuringly. "He'll make it. He's the Doctor."

Jenny smiled. "You think so?"

"Of course. If I were you I'd be more concerned about what he's going to do to me when he does finally show."

This was what Jenny was worried about the most. "You do think we're doing the right thing, don't you?" She asked, unsure.

"Without a doubt." Jack slid his hand into hers. "I'm outrageously in love with you, Jenny. I couldn't spend the rest of forever without you."

"I love you too, Captain Jack Harkness." Jenny smiled. "Hmm. Jenny Harkness; I like the sound of that."

"About time someone gave you a last name," Jack said with a chuckle. Seeing the shadow of apprehension still haunting her features, he stopped, pulling his fiancée about to face him. "Everything's going to be fine, Jen," he told her.

"And if something goes wrong?"

"We deal with it and laugh about it later. No one is ever going to forget our wedding."

"Let's hope that's a good thing." Jenny glanced down at her watch. "Come on; we better get back before Gwen has a mental breakdown."

They weren't even halfway to the chapel when Gwen Cooper came running down the street to meet them, shouting their names and looking flustered about something.

"If this is about us disappearing on you, we can explain," Jack began, but was cut off by Gwen shaking her head.

"No, it's not that, although we can talk about that later," the dark-haired girl said, trying to catch her breath. Her face broke into a grin. "The Doctor's here."

* * *

><p>The Doctor couldn't stop pacing as they waited for Jack and Jenny to arrive. Eventually, after the constant back-and-forth started making Amy feel ill, she grabbed his arm and forced him down next to her on the cranberry-colored pew.<p>

"Just relax, Doctor. And don't kill him," Amy advised. "It would make things a wee bit awkward."

"What _right_ has he to go and marry _my_ daughter?" The Doctor seethed, his thumbs twiddling to account for the lack of pacing.

"In case you forgot, you kinda gave them your blessing. Well, at least to go back to Cardiff together. Isn't it better if they're married?"

"No it isn't, as a matter of fact. It's a commitment, which is something Jack isn't very good at."

"Maybe he's changed. You saw how he was around Jenny."

"What if he hasn't?"

"Don't ya think Jenny's old enough to make that decision for herself? She's not Jenna."

"She might as well be, for all the time I've known her." The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose.

Amy looped her arm over his shoulder and stroked his cheek. "Hey, it's alright. She's going to be alright."

"If it was anyone but Jack—"

"You'd be just as terrible. Face it, Doctor; you're a dad," River spoke up, totally unperturbed by the matter. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she and Clarion were currently trying to keep track of both Ian and Jenna and had time for little else.

Just then, the door of the chapel opened, and Gwen reentered. She was followed by Jack and Jenny, who both looked mildly apprehensive. The Doctor shot up off the pew, and Amy, who had been leaning on him, had to catch herself.

"Dad!" Jenny exclaimed, running to hug him. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Jenny," the Doctor told her, squeezing her back. He looked over her head at Jack, who cleared his throat.

"Sir," Jack greeted with a surprisingly respectful nod.

"We thought you might never show up," Jenny said. "And Amy! Goodness…does this make three then?" She added, noticing the bump for the first time.

"We don't have any more lurking around, if that's what you're worried about," Amy said with a small chuckle, standing up to hug her husband's eldest.

Jenny smiled and looked past her. "Lovely to see you again too, River."

"Likewise," River responded warmly. "This is my husband Clarion, by the way."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Clarion said, reaching out to shake Jenny's hand, who dipped her head in response.

Suddenly, Ian and Jenna bowled around the corner of the TARDIS—which had somehow managed to squeeze into the chapel's tiny foyer—and collided with Jenny's legs.

"Jenny, you remember Ian and Jenna," Amy said.

"How could I forget? But they're so big now!" Jenny crouched down to their level, studying them in awe.

"Who are you?" Jenna asked, ever the more talkative one around strangers. She was growing up to be just like her mother.

"I'm your big sister—basically," Jenny replied, grinning.

"You mean big big sister," remarked Jenna, making her laugh.

During these exchanges, the Doctor had kept his focus on Jack. Now he approached him, and everyone in the room held their breath, whether they meant to or not.

"Captain Jack Harkness," the Doctor said, as if sizing him up. Which, of course, was likely.

"Doctor." Bravely, Jack stepped forward. "Thanks so much for coming. I can't tell you how much this means to Jenny—to the both of us."

"Cut the formalities, Jack. You know as well as I do how much I would love to see you disappear right now."

The tension in the air suddenly increased. Amy got up again and came to stand next to the Doctor, her petite hand resting on his chest just in case.

"Always the charmer, aren't you, Doctor." Jack attempted a grin, but then traded it for a serious expression. "I still feel the same about your daughter as I did the day we left you. No, I love her more. She's my life."

The words stirred recognition, and the Doctor looked at Amy.

_Let them have the same opportunities we did, love. They deserve it,_ Amy told him, pressing into his mind.

_He's not worthy of her._

_Oh shut it. You're acting like a five-year-old who just had his juice pack stolen from him._

_Am not._

_There you go again._

_Am not!_

_DOCTOR._

The Doctor hesitated, taking a moment to glance at Jack, then back at his wife. _Are you sure about this?_

_Sure I'm sure. Tell you what; if he treats her badly, you can fly me back here and I'll personally wallop his backside for ya._

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. _Only if I get to help._

_Deal._

The Doctor returned his attention to Jack. "Right then. As long as you take care of my daughter, I'll refrain from dropping you in a black hole somewhere."

"Well that's—reassuring," Jack said doubtfully.

Jenny squealed and wrapped her arms around the Doctor. "Thanks, Dad," she said, kissing his cheek before transferring her affection to Jack.

"I'm starting to feel like I'm missing something here," Gwen spoke up, crossing her arms.

"You're not the only one," said Clarion cheerfully.

* * *

><p><strong>So I really know next to nothing about Torchwood, aside from what I saw of it in The Stolen Earth and Journey's End. Basically all information I'm getting is from Wikipedia, which isn't really as helpful as it was with Doctor Who, considering not all the episodes have summaries. I want to use Gwen, Rhys and Anwen, so I'm setting it in between the third and fourth seasons, but I'm going to need help from those of you who watch Torchwood. What are Gwen and Rhys's personalities like, maybe some important facts I'd need to know, and is it mentioned what part of South Wales they hide out in? Any information would be appreciated; I'm at a loss here. Just keep in mind this is an alternate plot, so I will be diverting from Torchwood's storyline a little as well.<br>**

**As always, please review! :)**


	9. Rainy Day Conversations

**So although I based this between the third and fourth seasons of Torchwood, I had to change some things. In this story, Jenny has been with Jack for a little while, and leaves with him when he tries to bury his guilt after Ianto's death. Also, in this version, Jack has no attachment to Ianto after he meets Jenny; otherwise the him loving only her thing wouldn't work out. The events of Miracle Day also do not occur. Hope that makes enough sense; I want the story to still flow pretty well.**

**Reviews are awesome!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"So Torchwood's gone," the Doctor said, still unable to believe it. He and Gwen were sitting on the sofa in the living room of her and Rhys's cottage, a heavy fall rain lashing at the windowpanes and a fire roaring in the hearth.<p>

Gwen nodded. "After Ianto was killed, and Jack left with Jenny to cope with—everything that happened, and Rhys and I decided to settle down to a quiet life here with our daughter, there really wasn't much hope for it. We had a good run, though. Pity it all had to end the way it did." Gwen wrapped both her hands around her teacup, as if she wished the warmth from it would soothe her painful memories of the past. Just a little ways away from her was three-month-old Anwen, who had fallen asleep on her pink blanket on the floor, her full lips slightly parted and her dark lashes fluttering on her perfect, round little cheeks. The sight of her warmed her mother's heart better than tea ever could.

"But Jack and Jenny came back," the Doctor noted, selecting a scone from a tray on the end table.

"Yes, thankfully. They travelled all over the universe, until Jack finally released the guilt he felt for the deaths of some of our old colleagues and Ianto, and his grandson. I know Jenny must have helped quite a bit. Jack's been the happiest I've ever seen him when he's with her." Gwen traced the floral pattern on her teacup pensively. "You know, he used to fancy me a little, and I suppose I felt something for him too, once, before marrying Rhys. But ever since he brought Jenny back—he doesn't look at anyone in that way anymore. It's good to see him—complete, if you know what I mean. Like he at last found where he belongs. Helping out with their wedding was the least I could do for them."

The Doctor pondered over this. "I'm glad he finally found happiness as well, even if it did have to be with Jenny."

Gwen smiled, glancing at Anwen again. "I understand; she's your daughter. You love her and you'd probably give anything for her, even your right hand."

"Indeed I would, the Doctor said gravely, before adding, as an afterthought, "Although it may just grow back."

Gwen looked at him, surprised, as if trying to work out if this was a joke and finding it wasn't. "Jack told me you were different, Doctor, but it seems there's more to it than I thought," she said with a chuckle.

* * *

><p>"Jack's very good with Ian and Jenna," Amy noticed, watching from the dining room table as her son and daughter launched a semi-aerial attack on him from the kitchen counter. For a second she worried, as they all toppled to the floor together, but her concern vanished when Jack caught them both in one fluid motion, rolling so that he hit the hardwood first while still making them believe they'd soundly defeated him. They were all giggling up a storm.<p>

Jenny laughed at the wrestling match that ensued, in which Ian was pretending to be a tiger and Jenna took up the role of a shark. They were an inventive bunch. "He is, isn't he?" She said as she poured tea into Amy's mug, which was the largest one in the cupboard. "Jack loves children."

"Always a good thing to look for in a man. Unfortunately, mine likes them a little too much," Amy remarked, staring down ruefully at her swollen middle.

"I think it's sweet."

"You would probably think differently if you'd grown up the normal way. Most older children—well, the human ones at least—think it's embarrassing when their dad keeps having kids after them. Especially at your age."

"Well it's a good thing I didn't, then. I like having siblings, whatever their age." Jenny stirred honey into her tea, the spoon clinking lightly against the ceramic sides of the mug. "So is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy. His name's August, after my dad."

"It's a lovely name. I can't wait to see what he looks like."

Amy pressed her hand against her belly. "You hear that, August? Someone else wants to see yer wrinkly face too." She received an irritated kick in response and sighed. "I am soo tired of being pregnant. I'm afraid he's going to be in there forever."

Jenny chuckled. "The time will come soon enough, I'm sure. You look like you're about to pop."

"Just wait till you have one," Amy shot back, although she knew the girl was right. Patience would never be one of her strong points.

Jenny merely adopted a sagely expression and sipped her tea. "It's nice to see that River found someone. I always thought she looked a little lonely."

Amy nodded. "Took us long enough to run across him. It was worth the wait, though; he's the king of a planet called Anavrin, which we visited right after you and Jack left. We had to help him reclaim it from pirates though, the Doctor and River and I. Before August came into existence, of course."

"I bet you guys were spectacular."

Amy smiled wanly, remembering her unauthorized joining of the battle and rescuing the Doctor, both of which could have claimed her life. "Did you know River's pregnant too? With twins, no less."

"Are you kidding? That's great!" Jenny glanced up at the ceiling as if she could see through it to the second floor; Clarion had offered to assist Rhys in fixing a leak in the roof, and River had insisted on helping, seeing as it was a considerably large job. Predictably, nothing Clarion said could stop her.

"I know. She'll make a good mum."

"That she will. So what other planets did you and the Doctor visit after Anavrin?"

"New Earth."

"And?"

"That's it."

"That can't be it. I mean, at the ages Ian and Jenna are now, that had to have been—"

"Four years ago? Yeah, I know." Amy clutched her mug tightly, not meeting Jenny's eyes. "The Doctor wanted to try domesticity."

"That doesn't sound like Dad. There had to be another reason."

"Well, yeah, there sorta was. Someone was after us, and he chose to lie low under the radar for a while."

"I see. You got away from them, then?"

"Not entirely." Amy looked up, and Jenny was surprised to witness something in her eyes that she was used to seeing only in her father's: age, and the seriousness that came with it. Her fingers curled around her wrist. "Listen, Jenny. If someone ever comes asking for you, someone by the name of Rhododendron or Rhodes, someone with short white hair and unkind black eyes, get out as fast as you can, okay?"

"Amy—"

"Promise me, Jenny."

Jenny studied the ginger in an attempt to glean what exactly had happened to her in the time they'd been apart. "I promise."

Amy nodded, and her grip loosened. She suddenly looked frailer than she had a moment before, when they'd been discussing more pleasant things, and Jenny decided that now was not the time to ask her the specifics. Whatever had happened to Amy, it had been a traumatic experience, and reliving it apparently took a toll on her. She resolved that she would find out from the Doctor later.

"I assume you and Jack have been to some pretty fascinating places," Amy said, expertly changing the subject.

Knowing it would take her mind off things, Jenny launched into tales of the adventures they'd recently been on, during which Jack came over and interjected some of the finer details and 'corrections', which the pair argued over companionably for the five minutes directly following each one. Eventually they were both forced to end it when supper was announced, after which Gwen dragged Jack and Jenny off to pour over wedding details. About that time the Doctor decided Amy should retire early, despite her objections.

"It's only seven o' clock, Doctor!" Amy complained as he slipped a nightie over her head in the spare bedroom Gwen and Rhys had given them.

"Yes, and you need all the sleep you can get," the Doctor told her. He crouched down to kiss her rounded stomach, and she smiled, her fingers combing through his hair.

"Oi! Feeling a little neglected up here," Amy said, and he grinned, rising to press his lips against hers, his arms encircling her. Just as he had planned, she unlocked her knees and fell back into bed, and he deposited her gently on her pillow and tucked the coverlet around her.

"Well aren't you a little trickster," she told him once she realized he'd achieved his goal.

"I try my best," replied the Doctor, sliding in next to her and wrapping his arms around her, her head nestled under his chin. She relaxed into him, drawing patterns into the material of his shirt with the tip of her finger.

"You're still worried," she commented.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm a woman; I know everything. Plus I can feel it in your thoughts, you numpty."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that." The Doctor stroked her hair away from her face. "It's not like I can just stop. You know what it's like; you're a parent."

"Yeah, I know what it's like." Amy's hand strayed down to her stomach.

"You're worried about something too," the Doctor said perceptively.

Amy was a little caught off guard. "Er…August, of course. Aren't we all?"

"No, it's not just that."

"Would you mind getting outta my head?"

"It's not like I'm doing it on purpose. I can sense it, just like you did."

Amy took a deep breath. _You know what I'm worried about. Or rather who._

_Amelia._ The Doctor kissed the top of her head. _She's gone; River shot her. And even if she did survive and comes back for you, there's going to be hell to pay from me. I won't let that happen again._

_Like you said, I'm a parent. I can't stop worrying._

_I realize that. Just don't fret too much; I hate to see how it affects you._

Amy responded by tilting her head up and kissing him languidly. Then she laid it on his chest again and drifted off into the fog of a deep slumber. He only wished he could sleep as easily; there was much he had to ruminate over now, and he had to be careful not to let his disconcerted thoughts spill over into her dreams.


	10. Bad Timing

**I'm warnin' you peeps now: major cliffhanger at the end of this one. Kill me and the story dies. Mwahaha. :D**

**Anyway, hope you like it, and reviews pleeease!**

* * *

><p>Amy awoke the morning of the wedding feeling absolutely dreadful. She would have attributed it to the aftereffects of Jenny's bachelorette party, if Jenny hadn't bypassed alcoholic beverages out of consideration for the two women present unable to drink them. No, the feeling was more than likely pregnancy-related, and Amy laid curled up in bed, afraid to move for fear of retching up whatever was currently in her stomach, until River came to see what was preventing her from joining them in the last-minute wedding preparations.<p>

"Are you alright, love?" River asked concernedly, placing her hand on Amy's forehead.

"It's just a little sickness; that's all," Amy said unconvincingly, her voice weak. "Where's the Doctor got to?"

"He got pulled into rehearsals, the poor thing. They've been at it for hours now." River checked her pulse, but it seemed steady enough. "Do you need me to fetch him?"

"No! No, I'm fine. I think I just need something to eat," Amy lied.

"I'll bring a tray up for you. Any requests?"

"Porridge and a turkey sandwich would be nice. Oh, and with some cottage cheese in the sandwich, if there is any."

River raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle all that?"

Amy nodded.

River shook her head in disbelief. "Alright then. I'll see what I can find."

There was not, as it turned out, any cottage cheese in the fridge, but the woman figured cream cheese would do. This assumption proved correct when Amy ate every last bite of it.

"Better?" River questioned.

"Yeah, much," Amy lied, trying not to reveal her dizziness as she sat up.

"Good. You should probably get ready; only three hours to go now. And don't worry about Ian and Jenna; Clarion and I are going to watch them for you."

"Okay. Thanks," Amy responded, though it wasn't until long after River left the room that she dragged herself out of bed, at which point August started kicking and punching up a frenzy.

"Ouch! Cool it there, tiger," Amy muttered, inhaling sharply. She screwed her eyes shut and waited, still perched on the edge of the bed, hand pressed to her side.

Once he calmed down, she slowly she slid the empire-waist, royal-blue chiffon dress the Doctor had laid out for her over her head. The material, which was perfect for her current shape and breezy and comfortable, was also the same shade as the padded, slipper-like flats that went with it. Although the Doctor didn't mind heels—in fact, he quite enjoyed them when paired with her legs—he had strictly forbidden them since learning she was expecting, fearing they would cause her to trip and fall at one point or another. It was somewhat of a relief, especially considering the amount of swelling her feet had been doing as of late.

After trying and failing to get her hair to cooperate in a mimicry of the style the Doctor had whipped up for Clarion's coronation, Amy let it cascade around her face and over her shoulders, using a curling iron here and there in it. Deeming herself presentable, she began her lengthy trip downstairs.

* * *

><p>"Mummy!"<p>

As was the usual routine, both Ian and Jenna waylaid their mother at the same time, and she had to quickly grab the edge of the counter to keep from falling over. She desperately wanted to lean over and pick them up, but a twist of her stomach and another jab from August advised her against it.

"Come on, you two. If you don't finish your breakfast we'll just leave you here all by yourselves, and you won't get to come to the wedding," River threatened, herding them back towards the breakfast table. They immediately began shoveled the eggs and bread and butter into their mouths, fearing she might hold true to her word.

"Morning, Amy," Gwen greeted as she cleaned her daughter up, who was currently sporting a porridge mustache and beard. She was dressed in deep green and, unlike Amy, was wearing heels. "You're looking lovely today."

"Thanks," Amy said, heading straight for a chair before her knees gave out. "Where's everyone else?"

"The Doctor, Jack, and Clarion are at the chapel already, and Jenny's upstairs getting ready," River answered, putting her plate in the sink.

"And Rhys is somewhere around here, avoiding being pressed into service. He'll be driving us, though," Gwen said.

Just then, Jenny came downstairs. Everyone turned to watch, half-believing an angel had somehow fallen through the now-patched hole in the roof. Her white-blond hair had been loosed from its standard ponytail and cascaded around her creamy shoulders in perfect curls, crowned by a pearl headband and veil. Her dress was beautifully tailored to her shape with a mermaid-style skirt, and the sheer bateau neckline made it almost strapless. Aside from her diamond engagement ring, she wasn't wearing one ounce of jewelry, and the simplicity of the ensemble only made it more breathtaking. She even seemed to be glowing, which perhaps emanated from her radiant smile.

"You look gorgeous, Jen!" Gwen exclaimed, voicing what the others were thinking.

"You think so?" Jenny smoothed the satin material down on her front. "I didn't want anything too fancy. Jack and I both wanted a small, no-frills kind of wedding."

"It's perfect," Amy agreed with a smile.

"Jack isn't going to know what hit him," River said.

"Or the Doctor, for that matter," Amy pointed out. "I'm pretty sure he's been seeing you as a little girl up until now."

"Just as long as he doesn't call it off," Jenny said with a modest smile.

"If he does he'll have me to answer to. And believe me, that's more frightening than having Jack for a son-in-law," remarked Amy.

"We should probably get going. Don't want to be late on your big day," Gwen announced warmly.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later Rhys pulled his Land Rover Discovery up in front of the little white chapel, and Gwen, Jenny, River, and Amy piled out. Rhys stayed behind for a second to get Anwen out of her car seat, and River clasped both Ian and Jenna's hands in hers and led them up the steps to the door.<p>

"You alright?" Gwen asked when Amy paused by the wrought-iron railing, her hand flying to her side.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine," Amy answered, biting her tongue. "Just a cramp."

There was a skeptical gleam in Gwen's hazel eyes, exposing her maternal experience, but she allowed her the benefit of the doubt. She laid a caring hand on the girl's shoulder. "Let someone know if you start feeling worse, okay?"

Amy nodded, straightening and putting on her best picture-of-health façade before proceeding into the chapel. She didn't want to worry the Doctor on such an important day, and she was well aware of how quickly he'd be able to figure it out if she didn't do a proper cover-up job.

With one last look at Amy, Gwen herded Jenny into a room where she would be hidden from the eyes of her husband-to-be, and everyone else continued towards the auditorium. The Doctor was waiting in the foyer.

"Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. Jack was freaking out over a 'wardrobe malfunction' this morning, amongst other things," the Doctor apologized with a small grin, reeling his wife into a leisurely kiss. Although he was trying to act cool, Amy could tell he was as nervous, if not more so, as Jack.

"Aren't you gonna sit with us, Daddy?" Jenna asked after hugging her father's leg as tightly as her little arms could manage and staring up at him with bright, adoring eyes.

"I'd love to, sweetheart, but Daddy has to walk Jenny down the aisle to Jack," the Doctor replied, hefting her up into his arms.

Jenna's brow furrowed. "Why? Doesn't Jenny know how to get there?"

The Doctor chuckled and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers, his eyes sparkling. "Of course she does, but Daddy wants to make sure she gets there safe and sound."

"Ohhh," Jenna said with the astuteness only a three-year-old could possess.

The Doctor smiled and set her down, ruffling Ian's hair before kissing Amy again.

"Remember what you told me about not worrying," Amy said quietly, her hands gripping the lapels of his customary tweed jacket.

"I'll be okay."

"You sure?"

"Of course. I do rather love weddings, after all."

"Because you just came for the dancing." Amy smiled and patted his cheek affectionately. "And hey; love ya."

"Love you too." The Doctor brushed his lips against hers a final time before sending her off with River and the children, giving her a completely out-of-place salute when she turned to glance at him before passing through the double doors.

Clarion escorted them to their seats, and Amy was immediately greeted by two familiar faces.

"Well well, and here we were thinking the Doctor was done having kids."

Amy cracked a grin, her hand resting over her belly. "Hello to you too, Mickey," she greeted, noticing that he and Martha looked at least nine years older than when she'd last seen them.

"Goodness you haven't changed a bit! Aside from the new addition, of course," Martha exclaimed with a wide smile. "Oh! You haven't met our daughter yet, have you? This is Shaina."

Amy leaned over to shake the hand of a girl who was approximately eight years of age and the striking image of her mother, with cornrowed hair and wire-rimmed glasses framing her almond-shaped eyes.

"Shaina, this is Amy Pond. The Doctor's wife."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Shaina said, astonishingly cordial for her age. "Mum and Dad have told me all about you. And the Doctor."

"It's nice meeting you too," Amy answered. She had a feeling the Smiths would have another M.D. in the family when Shaina grew up, or something similar. The intelligence in her eyes was unmistakable.

The rest of the wedding guests Amy didn't recognize, and assumed they were friends of Jack and Jenny. Even with the inclusion of them, there were many empty pews, the number of guests averaging around twenty in all. Jack was standing at the altar with the vicar, bouncing anxiously on the balls of his feet and looking handsome as ever in simplistic white tuxedo and cummerbund. There was a bowtie around his neck, and with a start Amy realized it was one of the Doctor's; his fourth favorite, in fact. It was very unusual for him to even allow anyone to touch his bowties, much less wear them.

The music started up—a rock version of Canon in D, to the initial surprise of the guests, although they had to admit it was fitting to those who had chosen it—and the doors at the back of the auditorium opened. There stood Jenny, her arm threading through her father's, her face blazing with excitement and happiness. Jack's eyes popped when he saw her, and Amy was afraid he was going to collapse on the spot. Somehow he managed to hold it together as the Doctor and Jenny marched swiftly down the aisle, Jenny clearly in the lead. When they reached the altar, the Doctor handed her off—somewhat reluctantly—to Jack, and then moved to the spot behind him, standing in as Best Man opposite Gwen, who was the Matron of Honor. The vicar launched into the vows, which Amy was sure were beautiful and worthy of the tissues some of the women around her were dabbing to their eyes. She didn't hear them, however, for her attention was elsewhere, namely on the pain stabbing through her middle.

Biting her tongue so hard that it bled to prevent herself from screaming, Amy's heart suddenly filled with horror. After two children, she knew well enough how to identify a contraction.

* * *

><p><strong>P.S. My middle name is Shaina, and I rather love it. :D<strong>


	11. Waiting on August

The vows seemed ages long. Or the contractions were coming too fast. Either way, it was taking all that was in Amy to hide the pain assailing her from those who were sitting near her and the Doctor. Even harder to maintain was the mental block she had thrown up against the Doctor, which surprisingly appeared to be working; he was completely oblivious, his focus set on Jack and Jenny exchanging rings.

_Bad timing. Bad, bad timing,_ Amy thought. It was turning out to be a pattern in her family. She was determined, however, not to interrupt the wedding, even for something as important as being in labor.

The girl was able to hold out until 'You may now kiss the bride', at which point the agony became too much for her to bear. A scream escaped from her throat as another contraction hit, mingling with the congratulatory clapping, and she crumpled, hands clutched to her stomach.

The Doctor appeared next to her almost as if by magic, and River grabbed her arm on her other side to keep her from falling forward out of the pew. Likewise, Jack and Jenny immediately broke off their kiss and rushed over.

"Is it time, Amy? Is he coming?" The Doctor asked as she leaned into him, latching on to his chest.

Amy nodded, gasping. "But something…feels wrong," she said before she was forced to bite her tongue again. Her fingers clawed into his shirt.

"It's alright, Amelia; you're going to be fine. We just need to get you to the TARDIS," the Doctor reassured, running his fingers through her hair. He started to gather her up in his arms.

"Hold on, Doctor." Martha knelt down in front of Amy, the glittering bronze silk of her full skirt fanning out behind her. There was an intense, serious expression on her face. "What feels wrong, Amy?" She asked.

"Martha, I don't think we have time—"

"This is important, Doctor," Martha snapped, shutting him up. "Amy?"

Amy shook her head, tears squeezing out of the corners of her eyes. She waiting for a break in contractions before saying, "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right. Like he's in there wrong—Ow!"

"Help me lay her down," Martha told the Doctor. When he hesitated, she added, "May I remind you that I have a medical degree. I know what I'm doing."

After this the Doctor complied, lifting his wife and settling her lengthwise on the pew. While Martha probed her distended abdomen, he stroked her brow, wiping away the tears that kept replenishing themselves.

"The baby's breech. That means his head isn't down like it should be," Martha clarified. "She needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible. They'll probably have to perform an emergency cesarean."

"Right. We can take the TARDIS to—"

"No, Doctor, we don't have time for that. If she doesn't get medical attention right now, you might lose the baby, or even both of them."

"There's a hospital just around the corner," Gwen interjected.

"We can't just waltz into an Earth hospital in 2011 and admit her! Have you forgotten the baby's—like me?" The Doctor argued, careful not to voice his ethnicity with so many people who were strangers to him present.

"Yes we can, if we're cautious. I have a good friend who's an obstetrician there. She won't ask any questions."

"I don't think we should risk it," said the Doctor.

"You don't really have a choice, Doctor," Martha informed him, and he knew that she was right. Amy's contractions were getting closer together, her shouting reaching a pitch that had everyone's ears ringing.

Quickly the Time Lord scooped her up into his arms and raced out of the chapel, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Gwen was right on his heels, jumping behind the wheel of the Discovery at the same time he dove into the backseat with Amy. The doors were barely closed before the SUV took off, its tires squealing and leaving a strong smell of burnt rubber in the air.

"Martha, where are you going?" Mickey demanded as she took off down the street.

"To see if I can help!" Martha shouted before disappearing around the corner, not bothering to stop.

Jack glanced at Jenny. "How do you feel about spending the first part of our honeymoon in a hospital waiting room?" He asked with a grin.

"I thought you'd never ask," Jenny answered, smiling in return. Joining hands, the couple sprinted off in the direction Martha had gone, not caring that they were still in their wedding attire.

It took all of Clarion's strength to keep River from following after them. "I think they have all the help they need now, Riv," he told her firmly.

"But I want to be there!" River protested, struggling against his grip.

"We will be; later. Besides, we promised to watch Ian and Jenna for them. I don't think they could stand being in a hospital waiting room for very long," reasoned Clarion. He didn't mention that he didn't want her dealing with any more stress, especially if something did end up happening to either Amy or the baby. He had to think about her health as well, and that of the twins she was carrying.

"We rented an event room at a hotel in town for the reception; I suggest we wait there if you want to be close by," Rhys said, placing Anwen on his hip. The little girl, who apparently hadn't been fazed by the wedding's subsequent happenings, was looking at them in hopes of catching someone's eye. River fell right into her trap, and Anwen's expression blossomed into a heart-melting, dimpled smile as she chortled at her.

"Fine. As long as we head over later," River conceded, allowing Clarion to take her by the arm as they followed Rhys, Mickey and Shaina right behind them. Clarion picked up Jenna, leaving Ian to walk next to River. Perhaps it was because he was the oldest, or because he took after the Doctor more than he did Amy, but he had always been a little quieter than his sister, at least in public. That moment, on the other hand, was an exception.

"What happened to Mummy, Auntie?" Ian asked curiously, having to match every step River took with two in order to keep up. He and Jenna had taken to calling her 'Auntie' ever since they'd asked who she was to them. They had been convinced without a doubt, and still were, that she was a relation.

River put on what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "She's fine, sweetie. Your baby brother is on his way; that's all."

"But why did Daddy look so scared?"

"Because he loves your mum very much and wants to make sure she's okay."

"What if she isn't okay?"

River didn't have an immediate answer for this. "She will be; don't you worry your little head about it," she told him. "Are you excited about getting a brother?"

Ian shrugged. "I guess."

"What do you mean, 'I guess'? Little brothers are wonderful."

"I've already got Jenna, and she doesn't like getting dirty anymore. She says it messes up her pretty clothes."

"Well I'll let you in on a secret. Brothers _love_ getting dirty, no matter how old they get."

Ian brightened at this. "Really?"

River nodded, smiling.

"Oh boy! When's he going to be here?"

"You'll have to wait a short while until you can play with him. He's just a tiny baby right now. He could break."

Ian sighed, his small shoulders slumping and his tousled brown fringe flopping into his face. "Alright, but he better hurry up and grow."

River laughed and pulled him in for a side hug, momentarily forgetting about the direness of his mother's situation.

* * *

><p>"You're going to be fine, Amy. You're going to be alright," the Doctor repeated, allowing her to squeeze the blood out of his hand as the Discovery sped towards the hospital. Although he had insisted on her being seat-belted in, she had still managed to curl up against him. Every time a contraction hit, her fingernails turned into talons, digging into his skin and leaving angry red marks. Ignoring the pain—he knew how much worse it was hurting her than him—he held her to him, continually stroking her scalp and muttering words of consolation in her ear.<p>

"He can't die, Doctor. Please don't let him die," Amy said almost hysterically. She knew the complications of a breech birth if they didn't get there on time for a C-section; it had been in one of the pregnancy books in the TARDIS library. Birth defects, a compressed umbilical cord, nerve and brain damage caused by lack of oxygen. The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became that she was going to lose him.

"He's not going to die, Amelia. He's going to be healthy, and fat, more than likely, considering he took his dear sweet time in coming. And most importantly, he's going to be _ours_."

The Land Rover pulled to a screeching stop outside the small town Welsh hospital, and the Doctor immediately began fumbling with Amy's seatbelt. He gathered her up again and ran for the building, Gwen right behind him.

The succeeding events were all a blur for Amy. They met a middle-aged woman in the ER named Dr. Hughes, who she vaguely remembered Gwen calling while they were in the car on their way there. Then another contraction assailed her, and by the time she could pay attention to what was going on she was being laid on the table of an operating room.

"I'm right here with you, Pond. I'm not going to leave you. I'm right here." The Doctor's voice was playing second fiddle to that of the pain, however. He must have realized this, for he instantly switched to telepathic messages of reassurance, pairing them with a sense of comfort. This was more successful, but it was impossible to entirely forget about the muscles painfully attempting to bring their son into the world, and she retained her hold on his hand. She felt his lips brushing against her forehead before the crew of nurses in blue converged on her, slipping a breathing mask over her nose and mouth. For one terrible moment she was reminded of Rhodes's medics, but the memory soon slipped away from her as her vision turned black at the edges. The next second, her grip on the Doctor's hand loosened as the general anesthesia took full effect, and she went completely under.

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><p><strong>Sorry guys, it seems I have a cliffhanger complex. Never fear; more shall come!<strong>

**Thanks for reading, and pleeeease review! :D**


	12. Moments Like This

**So this chapter's a little short, but I wanted to give it to you quicker considering the horrific cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter lol.**

**Enjoy, and reviews please! :D**

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><p>"How's she doing?" Martha asked, locating Gwen outside the door of the operating room.<p>

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard anything yet, but maybe that's a good thing." Gwen glanced at the door uneasily.

"Do you think it'd be alright if I went in to see what I can do?" Martha asked. "I am a doctor."

"Go right ahead. Dr. Hughes—my friend—is pretty open-minded about that sort of thing."

Martha hadn't been gone two seconds before Jack and Jenny skittered around the corner. Jenny's veil had disappeared somewhere along the way, and Jack's bowtie was askew, but they didn't even seem to notice.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I think the operation room's reached maximum occupation already," she told them, crossing her arms and barring the entrance.

"Oh we didn't plan on going in," Jenny said quickly.

"Yeah, I was there when Jenna was born, and I am NOT witnessing anything like that again," Jack contributed.

"My husband the pansy," Jenny teased, jabbing him.

"Hey! I can handle blood, broken bones, dismembered and mutilated body parts…but childbirth is on a whole different level." Jack shivered.

"Wimp."

"I think I'm starting to realize why there are so many unhappy marriages."

"Well then, I guess we'll just call off the wedding night."

"Did I say 'unhappy' marriages? I meant 'happy'. Completely blissful, actually."

"And don't you forget it." Jenny grabbed the undone corner of Jack's bowtie and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Oi, save it for later! Don't forget you two are in a hospital," Gwen interrupted as three nurses walked by, all casting curious and slightly amused glances at the lip-locked pair.

"Just be glad you got the toned-down version," Jack said, waggling his eyebrows. Gwen shook her head.

* * *

><p>If there was one fortunate thing about cesareans, it was that the actual delivery took a relatively short time to perform. No more than three minutes later, Martha reappeared, wearing surgical scrubs and a beaming smile. In her arms was a blue-swathed bundle, a tuft of honey-brown hair that was almost ginger just visible above the blanket.<p>

Gwen, Jack, and Jenny immediately fell silent, their eyes drawn to the infant. Slowly they approached him, gazing at his minute face in awe. His eyes—Time Lord eyes, as they were already attempting to focus on his onlookers—were still deep blue, and his lips puckered in the same way as his mother's and older sister's.

"He's so gorgeous," Jenny breathed, reaching out to touch his velvety skin. "Hallo there, little brother."

"Nice to finally make your acquaintance, August Pond," Jack said with an exaggerated dip of his head.

"How's Amy?" Gwen asked curiously.

Martha's face fell. "Not quite as good as this little fellow, I'm sorry to say. She's bleeding excessively, even now as they're closing the incisions. They've sent for a pack of her blood type. Thankfully it's not rare."

"But she's going to pull through, right?" Jenny said concernedly.

"It's hard to say for sure, but I think she will. She's no quitter, after all." Martha tried to put on an encouraging smile, but the corners of her mouth weren't up to it.

"How is the Doctor taking it?" Jack questioned.

"Good, considering. Though I can tell that, deep down, he's afraid things are going to take a turn for the worse. She is stable for the most part, however. They're preparing to move her to a room now." Martha looked at Jenny, taking note of the longing in her eyes. "Would you like to hold him?" She asked.

"Oh can I?" Jenny said excitedly.

Martha nodded and handed the infant to her, and she took him as if he was made of glass. He seemed to like her, or maybe he somehow figured out they were related from the two hearts beating against him, for he soon drifted off, sighing contentedly. The adorableness was almost too much to handle.

"Here, Jack. Why don't you hold him for a bit?" Jenny said.

"But…but he's so tiny."

"So was Ian, and Jenna. I know you won't hurt him." Ignoring Jack's protests, Jenny just about shoved August into his arms. Inevitably, the ages-old alien hunter's face softened, and he found himself, to his own dismay, speaking to him in baby talk.

So wrapped up were they in the new arrival that no one noticed the cold, merciless black eyes peering calculatingly around the corner from the adjacent corridor. By the time Gwen sensed it and looked up, the owner of the eyes had disappeared.

* * *

><p>The Doctor couldn't tear his eyes away from his slumbering son. August fit in his arms so perfectly, and although he was a little bigger than Ian and Jenna had been, he wasn't heavy at all. It amazed the Doctor that, even after three children, the wonder of being a father still hadn't worn off. In fact, it felt like a new experience every time, and he loved seeing what traits from him and Amy would be combined each time a child was born to them. It was never a disappointment.<p>

Reminded of his wife, the Doctor looked up at the figure lying unconscious in the hospital bed across from the cheap sofa he was sitting on. A transfusion bag of ruby-red blood hung on a hook by the bed, a tube feeding it by catheter into Amy's arm. Her head, which was cushioned by a pillow and surrounded by a halo of red hair, was turned in his direction. Her eyes were still closed, and despite the paleness of her skin there was a pleasant, untroubled expression on her face, her hands clasped loosely on her chest. For a moment the Doctor was put in mind of a damsel from a romantic piece of literature, perhaps the Lily Maid, Elaine. He and Amy had, coincidentally, visited John William Waterhouse in 1888 just before the creation of his famous painting the Lady of Shalott, and they'd found it quite amusing that he'd decided to go with red for the Lady's hair afterward. Up until that point he'd been dead set on painting her with blonde locks.

The Doctor rose from the sofa with August still in one arm and went over to her, stroking her cheek as if to make sure she wasn't an illusion. His fingertip grazed over her lips, which were soft and tantalizingly pink, and her eyes fluttered open. While he waited for them to focus, he sat on the edge of the bed and slipped his hand into hers, his thumb rubbing circles into her palm.

The first words out of Amy's mouth were, "I ruined the wedding, didn't I?"

"Of course not! I daresay you improved it. Everyone was worried about August being late, and I'm sure Jenny's thrilled he chose her wedding day for his birthday," the Doctor answered, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

Amy grinned, and her eyes settled on her son. Her arms automatically reached out for him. Careful not to disturb the catheter strapped to her arm, the Doctor gave him to her, tucking his blanket tighter around his small body.

"I think it's a tie this time, Doctor. I can't figure out who he looks like more," Amy said with a laugh as August's eyes opened and gazed at her sleepily.

"A tie indeed." The Doctor chuckled. "Didn't I tell you he was going to be perfect?"

"You may have mentioned it at some point," Amy said vaguely. Her smile faltered. "Though we still could have lost him."

"But we didn't, thanks to Martha."

"And no thanks to the dolt of a Time Lord who doesn't listen to the instincts of a mother."

"Oi! At least I got you here on time."

"Actually, I believe Gwen was driving."

"Don't I get any credit?"

"Maybe. You did carry me."

"Thank you."

"Although Rhys or Jack could have done that."

"I _beg_ your pardon—"

"Sshh, I wasn't finished. They could have done that, but you and only you stayed with me through it all. And only you can talk to me in my head, which did dull the pain somewhat." Amy's eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Thank you for that."

"Don't mention it." Unable to resist the call of her enticing lips any longer, the Doctor leaned down and claimed them, savoring every second of a kiss he knew was a gift. In a moment like this, it was easy to forget about close shaves and threats, about the dangers lurking nearby and across the universe. But it was also moments like this that made it all worth it.


	13. Too Perfect

**Just to let you guys know, I am NOT abandoning you. Believe it or not, I've been pretty busy these past few days, so busy that it took me like three days to finally make this lemon butter cake I got a recipe for (GASP!). Also, I've been trying to work on my novel more, which means I have to put this on hold sometimes. If it takes me a little while to update, please remember this.**

**Anyway, please review! :D**

* * *

><p>As a precaution, August wasn't moved to the nursery with the rest of the newborns. He remained in Amy's room, either in his crib or in his parents' arms. He was quite fond of sleeping with his mother, and of nursing, which generally went hand in hand. Of course when River, Clarion, Jenny and Jack showed up, he let himself be subjected to being passed around, knowing he'd return to Amy at one point or another. The Doctor informed her—he spoke baby, naturally—that August liked the way she smelled, and that the milk was quite good, and that he didn't quite grasp the difference between 'milk' and 'mother' yet. He also wanted to know what the soft, reddish-orange stuff was that grew out of her head, and if it tasted good or not. At first Amy was convinced the Doctor was making the whole thing up until, a second later, she caught their son nibbling experimentally on a piece of her hair.<p>

"Okay, I think I'm seeing how he resembles you," Amy laughed, pulling it out of his mouth. His lips opened and closed like a fish's a few times before he started fussing, and she quickly readjusted him so he could nurse.

It was the day after August's birth, and Amy had improved considerably since the blood transfusion. Any movement other than sitting up was strictly prohibited, however; the scar on her abdomen was still fresh and ached when she moved. In fact, every muscle in her body was sore, and for the moment she didn't feel like going anywhere. Martha took over as her and August's nurse, so as not to cause curiosity or alarm if anyone else discovered that the newborn had two hearts. The Doctor took care of any other need Amy had, which involved quite a bit of the hospital's ice cream supply and quite a bit more snuggling. He had to be careful of her healing stomach and all the wires connected to her, but she wasn't comfortable with sleeping without him, so he managed it. August was good at discouraging anything beyond kissing; he had a tendency of getting right in between them whenever they were all together.

It wasn't until the next day that Ian and Jenna were allowed in to see their younger brother, and even then River had charged them with the task of being on their best behavior. It was clear that this was quite a feat—Jenna was humming ever so quietly under her breath, and there was a skip in her brother's step—but they were able to make it to the bed without causing too much of a ruckus.

"He looks funny," Jenna declared upon a closer inspection, her brow knitted and her nose almost touching August's. The baby returned the expression.

"Looks like he's thinkin' the same thing about you," Amy said with a chuckle, remembering the first time she'd ever held Jenna and comparing the similarities between them.

"Why does he have hair on his ears?" Ian asked his father curiously.

"It's lanugo. Er—like duck down, I suppose. It'll fall out as he gets older," the Doctor answered.

"Is he gonna get older soon?"

The Doctor laughed. "Over time, yes. It will take him a few years to be as big as you."

"Auntie River said I can play with him when he gets older. But that'll be ages, won't it?"

"Maybe just a year or so." The Doctor ruffled his son's hair. "I'm sure he'll be chasing after you in no time."

At this Ian grinned, satisfied with this answer for the moment.

"So where did he come from?" Jenna asked.

"From my tummy. He was in there a good while, remember? I let you feel his kicks," Amy answered warmly.

"I _know_ that. But how'd he get there?" Jenna's eyes were wide with childish innocence.

The Doctor and Amy looked at each other uneasily.

_Oh no, I am _NOT_ explaining the birds and the bees to her, _the Doctor conveyed mentally.

_Wimp. Just so you know, though, she's much too young to learn about it now. It can wait a few years._

_So how do you propose we get out of it now?_

_Same as always. Improvise._

_I vote distraction._

_Your call. It's all up to you, alien boy._

_Oh? Who's the wimp now?_

_Still you._

The Doctor rolled his eyes. He picked Jenna up off the bed and threw her into the air, meriting a gleeful giggle from her. "Alright you two, time for Mummy and August to get some sleep. Out you go!" He announced, carrying Jenna to the door. Both she and Ian groaned in disappointment, but they allowed themselves to be taken under River's wing once more. The promise of ice cream may have had something to do with it.

"Evasion. Nice touch." Amy remarked as he closed the door behind them.

"It's what I do best. Well, next to beating everyone at chess and Chinese checkers. And running. And getting you in a whole lot of trouble, of course."

Amy chuckled, stroking August's velveteen cheek. His eyes started to drift closed, and her smile faded. "Do you get a feeling like all of this wonderfulness has to end sometime?"

The Doctor's eyes locked on Amy. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he sauntered over to her and crouched down so that they were eye to eye. His finger danced over her hand, drawing patterns that felt very much like Circular Gallifreyan.

"Which 'wonderfulness' do you mean? Our life together? Or August's birth?" He asked softly, his finger still tracing circles.

"Everything, I guess. I just feel like…I don't know, like something's lurking around the corner. It just doesn't seem like this can last. It's too perfect." Amy dropped her gaze.

"Hey." The Doctor's finger left her hand to lift her chin, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I think you're worrying just a bit too much, Amelia. Understandable, considering we've been in our own share of scrapes. Hardly what I would call 'too perfect'."

"As long as I have you, and our children, my life is more than perfect. And I don't care how sappy that sounds."

"You forgot someone."

"Who?"

"The TARDIS."

"Oh yeah. How could I forget her?" Amy grinned, and the Doctor couldn't help leaving a kiss—or two or three—on her lips. It was a lucky thing August was asleep; his parents doubted he would have held with such attention being bestowed on someone other than him.

Without warning, the intimate moment was interrupted by a discordance of what sounded like bullets ricocheting in a corridor outside the room. The Doctor instantly pulled away and made for the door, but he was cut off halfway when River crashed through it, an assault rifle in her hands.

"River—where did you get that gun? What's going on?" The Doctor demanded.

"Gwen keeps a couple of these babies hidden in her SUV," River said, patting the butt of her weapon. Her hair was frazzled, her face was grim, and a bleeding scratch adorned her forehead, but her eyes were glowing with the thrill of the fight. Or perhaps it was getting to use a gun again. "And you all bloody need to get out of here, that's what's going on!" She added quickly.

"But why? What's happening?" Asked the Doctor.

"It's Rhodes. She's back."

The Doctor glanced at Amy, who was staring at him with panic in her eyes and clutching August to her chest. The machine monitoring her heartbeat increased its beeping. "No. Oh please no," she murmured frantically.

"Gwen and I started suspecting something after we witnessed some of the hospital staff acting a little out of character. Martha asked them a couple medical questions that they completely made up the answers for. After that we went for the guns, and it's a good thing we did."

"So this was a trap the entire time," the Doctor said, the realization making him as sick as if he had just swallowed poison.

"It appears so. Clarion's taken Ian and Jenna somewhere safe, and we've got Gwen, Rhys, Martha, Mickey, Jack, and Jenny holding off her agents, but I'm not sure how long it will last. Which is why you and Amy and the baby have to make a break for it. Now!" shouted River, peering through the blinds of the window that separated the room from the hallway.

"She's not ready to be moved, River. She's barely had two days to heal," the Doctor reminded.

"What's worse to you, Doctor? Busted stitches or her dying?" River questioned bluntly. "Because you and I both know none of us are giving up August without forfeiting our lives first."

River's words rung true. The Doctor did know it, and he also knew that the fight was getting closer. He hurried over to the bed and ripped off the heart monitor.

"I'm so sorry about this, Pond," the Doctor told her as he gently slid the IV out of her hand and put a Band-Aid over the pinprick of blood left behind.

"Don't be," Amy told him as he threw the blanket off of her and lifted her into her arms, inhaling sharply as her stomach creased. Determined not to vocalize her pain in any way, she only held August closer, who was miraculously still asleep.

River opened the door and went out first, gun at the ready. The sounds of the skirmish were clearer out in the corridor, and they could just see the bursts of light caused by gunfire reflecting off the far wall.

"Go!" River shouted, taking a stance in between them and the approaching melee.

The Doctor needed no encouragement. With the smoothest gait he could muster, he took off in the opposite direction, his desperation to protect the precious cargo in his arms spurring him on.


	14. A Grendel's Downfall

The hospital was in an uproar. Those who actually worked there couldn't figure out what in the world was going on, and several were calling security and the police.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through! _Please _move out of my way, I'm trying to save some lives here!"

The hospital just stopped and stared at the sight of a professor-looking man, carrying a ginger-haired young woman in a hospital gown with a newborn infant in her arms, running through the halls as if the Devil himself was on their tail. On instinct they moved aside, not thinking to act until he was already gone. Seconds later, a woman succeeded them; a woman with short white hair and malicious black eyes. At first glance she looked human, but a closer examination revealed teeth that were a little too curved and predatory, skin that stretched a little too tightly over her purplish veins. She moved with inhuman speed, her boots clicking furiously on the chequered linoleum floor.

The Doctor may have looked like a skinny strip of nothing—not in just his current form alone—but being an alien had its privileges. Although carrying both Amy and August was a bit of a strain, he was able to bear their weight with more endurance than the average human male, and he very well may have made it all the way to where the TARDIS was still parked in the chapel. If the doors leading out to the parking lot weren't guarded by Rhodes's agents, that is.

The Doctor skidded to a halt yards before colliding with the barrel of the nearest semiautomatic rifle.

"Doctor," Amy murmured, her voice shaking, eyes locked on something behind them. He knew what she was looking at even before he turned around, a sense of dread spreading through him.

"Well, well, Doctor. Thought you could run, didn't you? You destroyed my ship, saved your wife and child from me for a few more days, and all for nothing." Rhodes was triumphant, as if she'd already won the battle. August started whimpering.

"I thought you would have figured out by now that it's a bad idea to mess with me, Rhododendron," the Doctor told her steadfastly, despite the odds against him. He cradled Amy tighter against his chest, as if it would protect her indefinitely from the creature.

Rhodes threw her head back and cackled. "You honestly think you've won? Look at you! One Time Lord against so many, and you have _nothing_ to defend yourself or your loved ones with. All alone, Doctor. What a shame."

"Who says he's all alone?" River appeared from the hallway across from her, rifle trained on Rhodes.

The woman looked at her bemusedly. "Ah yes, I remember you. You're the one who gave me this." Rhodes unbuttoned her blazer and pulled down her blouse just enough to reveal a bandaged wound in her chest. "I guess no one bothered to inform you that Grendels have a total of seven hearts. You only shut down one of them. Which, by the way, I did not appreciate." Before anyone could move, a pistol was in Rhodes's hand.

"No!" The Doctor yelled, but it was too late. As blood burgeoned on River's sleeve, she managed to shoot off a round of bullets that killed a line of Rhodes's agents before falling back against the wall. Amy screamed her name, a sob catching in her throat.

"That was the biggest mistake you'll ever make." The voice belonged to Gwen, who appeared holding a pistol in each hand. Jenny, Jack, Martha, Mickey and Rhys followed soon after. Upon sighting River, Jenny ran over and knelt beside her, tearing off a strip of her own shirt and pressing it to the bullet wound. River's face was already shining with sweat, her eyes unfocusing.

"There's just one problem with going after the Doctor, ma'am," Jack said threateningly, advancing on Rhodes with what looked like a bazooka. It was very a fitting weapon for him. "You get all of us."

Rhodes raised her pistol and tried to dispatch him as he approached, but the bullets barely slowed him. The leering smile on her face faltered, and she stumbled backward. Her minions opened fire on him without success, and a large portion of them were taken out by Gwen, Rhys, Mickey and Martha. The barrel of Jack's weapon flared to life, the missile striking Rhodes dead-on. An unearthly shriek tore out of her as her body caught fire, filling the air with an acrid, charred odor. The Doctor sunk to the floor, shielding Amy, who in turn covered the eyes of a wailing August, as Rhodes exploded, leaving behind nothing but ash.

Jack ran a finger down the length of the bazooka affectionately. "Interesting fact about Grendels. They're highly combustible around fire," he remarked lightly.

Belatedly, policemen came flooding into the scene as Rhodes's lackeys tried to disperse. Jack turned to Gwen and Rhys.

"Go on and get out of here. Government agents will show up next, and we don't need them finding out about you two," Jack told them. The couple nodded and slipped away into the chaos, so effectively that it was as if they'd never been there.

"Doctor; River," Amy said weakly.

The Time Lord looked over at Jenny, who was helping a nurse—a genuine member of the hospital's staff—lay River on a stretcher. Once they'd placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose and whisked her away, Jenny headed over to them, arms wrapped around her body as if she was holding herself together.

"Is she going to be alright?" Amy asked right away, tears flowing down her cheeks. The Doctor stroked his cool fingers through her hair.

Jenny bit her lip. "Well I'm not exactly an expert on these things, and there was a lot of blood. But seeing as she's still alive…and, well, she's River. Odds are in her favor."

"But the twins…" Amy didn't finish her sentence; she couldn't. She didn't want to consider the possibility that River had miscarried, or that her life could be in danger due to complications from it. Jenny removed August from her arms as the tears began coming faster. Her exhaustion still left over from giving birth only made it worse.

"Come on, Amy. We need to get you back into bed," the Doctor said gently, getting to his feet. He held her shaking frame against him and carried her back to her room, hoping, especially for her sake, that River would pull through.

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><p>Clarion came crashing into the hospital mere minutes after finding out what had happened to his wife from Gwen over the phone. After dropping Ian and Jenna off with Jenny—who had volunteered to be babysitter for the time being—he raced to the OR and was admitted inside at once.<p>

Meanwhile, Amy had gotten herself so worked up over the whole situation that nightmares were plaguing her yet again. Thankfully her stitches had remained in place, but worry was interfering with the healing process.

"It's my fault. She was protecting me," Amy convinced herself, staring up at the bleak white ceiling. There were discolored circles under her eyes from troubled sleep, and her skin was chalky.

"Listen to me, Amelia Pond. It was NOT your fault. If anything, it's my fault for getting you pregnant. If I hadn't, you wouldn't be in this hospital now, and Rhodes wouldn't have been after you for a Time Lord child," said the Doctor, propping himself up on his elbow and regarding her with a stern expression.

Amy titled her head towards him. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that."

"Then stop deluding yourself that River getting shot was your fault." The Doctor cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, and her eyes fluttered closed. "I don't like how it affects you. You're all skin and bones." His broad hand slipped down her side and over the curve of her hip, and he didn't like it that he could feel every bone through her gown. Even her abdomen, once pouched out a bit from formerly having a baby within it, was starting to flatten out again, and he missed the softness of it.

_I can't help it. River's like a sister to me._

_I know. I care about her as well. But I'm positive she wouldn't want you ruining your health for her sake._

Amy sighed. _Alright, you idiot. I'll try to not let it get to me._

_There's my brave girl._

_Brave? Hardly._

_Of course you're brave. You're the bravest girl I've ever known, fighting aliens and caring for our three children at the same time. Talk about a working mum. _The Doctor paused. _ Although now I come to think of it, 'reckless' may be a better term._

_Not nearly as reckless as you are._

_True. You'd have to be completely bonkers if you wanted to be as reckless as me._

_Can't argue with that._

_Naturally. You're halfway there._

_Oi!_

_I mean it in the best sense. Insanity is a rather entertaining state of mind._

_Well seeing as you've set up a permanent residence there…_

_Hey…_

_I mean it in the best sense._

_I'm sure you do._

The Doctor ended the mental conversation with a deep kiss, successfully wiping any witty comebacks from her mind.

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><p><strong>The name of Rhodes's race comes from Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem composed between the eighth and eleventh centuries. In it, Grendel is a monster, supposedly a descendant of the Biblical Cain, who Beowulf defeats and then keeps the head of as a trophy. Lovely story, eh?<br>**

**Thanks for reading, reviews please! :D**


	15. All Aboard

Miraculously, the government never did interfere with what happened at the hospital. The police decided—coincidentally after a talk with Jack, which may or may not have involved Retcon-laced doughnuts—that it was a random shooting initiated by someone in desperate need of psychiatric help, and that the person in question had been killed while the hospital's staff and patients were defending themselves. It was a closed case before the day was out, and the officers left with full bellies and clear minds.

Elsewhere, Amy insisted on seeing River. Although the Doctor was against the idea, there really was no preventing her, considering she was strong enough at the present moment that she could manage getting out of bed by herself. Shaking his head, the Doctor disconnected her from the heart monitor once more and helped her down the corridor to their friend's room.

River's eyes were closed, her fingers laced over the bump in her stomach. Her ringlets spilled out over the pillow, and it wasn't until that point that Amy noticed how much her hair had grown during the time they'd been away. She momentarily wondered when the woman would start cutting it the length she'd first seen her with.

"Should Amy be out of bed, Doctor?" Clarion asked as he closed the door behind them, frowning at the redhead.

"In my opinion; no. But it seems my opinion doesn't matter much around here. Or anywhere, for that matter," the Doctor said with a sigh, his arm firmly secured around his wife's waist.

"I was worried about River," Amy explained. She glanced at the heart monitor's screen and was reassured to find that her friend's heart rate was stable.

"Well the bullet didn't hit any major arteries or anything else that could have caused more trouble for her, so that's something to be thankful for. She's just extremely fatigued right now, what with the amount of blood she lost," Clarion told her.

Amy hesitated before voicing her next question. "And the twins?"

"Perfectly fine, as far as Martha and the obstetrician could tell. They're sturdy little folk," Clarion said proudly.

As Amy exhaled in relief, River's eyes fluttered opened. She smiled at the sight of the Doctor and Amy.

"What do you think you're doing up, Amy?" Was the first sentence they heard from her. The Doctor chuckled.

Amy rolled her eyes and harrumphed. "Oh for goodness' sake, why is that such a big deal to everyone?"

"Because the Doctor thinks you can be his Time Lord factory and not suffer any ill effects from it, naturally."

"Now that is not true," the Doctor said with a cough, straightening his bowtie as a slightly-embarrassed flush crept over his cheeks.

"Mhmm. Deny it all you want, but you know it's true."

"Stop it, River. He's turning red as a beet," Amy scolded weakly, giggling.

"I am not!"

"Whatever you want to think is fine, darling." Amy patted her husband's cheek, humoring him, before pulling herself over to sit on the edge of River's bed and taking her hand. "I'm glad we didn't lose you," she said softly.

"What reason have I to leave?" River asked, squeezing her hand. Her other arm stayed where it was, the bandage wrapped around it just visible under the sleeve of her hospital gown. She looked from Amy to the Doctor and then to Clarion, who came around on the other side of the bed and bent down to kiss her. As the kiss began to lengthen, the Doctor drew Amy away.

"Might as well leave them to it. Besides, you've been out of bed for long enough," the Doctor murmured to her.

Amy groaned, wanting to stay where she was a little longer, but the Doctor was adamant. He slid one arm under the bend of her legs and the other around her shoulders, proceeding to carry her out of the room. By the time they were gone, both Clarion and River had just about forgotten they'd been there in the first place.

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><p>When at last Martha declared it was safe for both Amy and River to be discharged from the hospital, they were more than ready to leave. They returned to Gwen and Rhys's cottage and were welcomed by a little celebration, which included the remainder of Jack and Jenny's wedding cake and a collection of hugs, most of them of the bear variety and bestowed by Jack. They were all aware that goodbyes would soon be in order; Clarion and River had a planet to run and children to await the arrival of, and the Doctor and Amy were itching to put the TARDIS to good use once more.<p>

"I wish you all could just stay forever," Jenny voiced wistfully at the end of the night, when they were winding down in the sitting room around a cheerful fire with mugs of hot cocoa.

"We can always come back for a visit," Amy reassured her, watching as the girl rocked August into a stupor. Ian and Jenna had gone to bed hours before, allowing her the leisure of reclining on the loveseat with her head in the Doctor's lap. The patterns he was tracing through her hair were sending her closer and closer to the brink of sleep, but she was resisting it.

"Same goes for us. We're all family now," River said warmly. Clarion nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere began to take a turn from sentimental to slightly disheartening, and Jack took it upon himself to change it as soon as possible.

"Hey, did I ever tell you guys about the time Jenny accidentally offended an entire civilization?" He announced after a swig of cocoa.

"Like father like daughter," Amy joked, peering up at her husband.

"Oi!" he retorted, although his captivation with the way the firelight danced in her emerald eyes made him forget to finish defending himself. He merely smiled and ran his finger down the gradual slope of her nose as Jack launched into his highly-amusing tale, through which Jenny constantly interrupted indignantly whenever he exaggerated a bit.

After Jack finished the story, Mickey and Martha chipped in by telling one of their own, beginning a round of recounted events from the others in the room. By the time they were done, Amy was fast asleep, unable to keep her eyelids open any longer. The Doctor carried her up to bed, grateful that, for the moment, there was nothing threatening to take her away from him.

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><p>"I'll miss you," Amy said, pulling Jenny into an embrace. "The wedding was beautiful—well at least the part I didn't interrupt—and I'm glad we got to come."<p>

"I'm glad too. It was perfect with all of you there," Jenny replied with a smile. They were all in Gwen and Rhys's backyard, assembled to bid the Doctor, Amy, their children, Clarion, and River farewell as they departed. The Doctor had moved the TARDIS from the chapel, breaking only one flower pot on the landing. This was a considerable accomplishment for him.

"So I can call you 'Dad' now, right?" Jack asked the Doctor impishly.

The Doctor bristled. "Most certainly not."

"Didn't think so."

"However…" the Doctor hesitated, and it seemed everyone stopped talking and inclined an ear towards him. Even Amy looked a little surprised, noting that he was having difficulty getting the words out. "Welcome to the family, Jack," he finally managed, patting his son-in-law lightly on the back.

Jack Harkness, on the other hand, was not one for weak gestures. Wearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear, he dragged the Time Lord into a bone-crushing hug that levitated his feet off the ground for a moment. "Thanks, Dad!" He told him before setting him down and retreating a safe distance away.

Miffed, the Doctor cleared his throat and straightened his clothes. "Right then. Come along, Pond," he said, heading for the TARDIS. Gwen met him before he reached the door.

"It was nice getting to see you again, Doctor. After hearing all the stories Jack told me about you, I'd begun to wonder that man I saw on the monitor was actually real instead of something out of a fairytale," she said.

"Truth be told, I'm as nonfiction as they come," the Doctor informed her pleasantly, grasping her hands in his. "And it was lovely seeing you in person as well. Both you and your husband are the best of people. Just do me a favor and keep an eye on Jack for me, alright?"

"I'll try," Gwen replied with a chuckle.

"Take care, Doctor!" Mickey said with final wave. His wife and daughter stood beside him, having already said their goodbyes but still waving furiously all the same.

The Doctor saluted him and then hopped aboard his ship, his passengers right behind him. The door closed with a snap, and a second later the familiar asthmatic groan pierced the air as the TARDIS began to vanish.

"Think we'll ever see him again?" Jenny asked her husband, biting her lip.

"Undoubtedly. He has a knack of falling out of the sky when you most need him, whether you've realized it yet or not." Jack smiled, a mischievous glint sparkling in his eye. "Besides, he has to come back to see his grandchildren at some point. He's going to have a ton of them."

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><p><strong>Reviews very much appreciated. The more the merrier :D<strong>


	16. Svartálfaheimr

**Sorry this was so long in coming, guys. Was busy all last week and then finished it off with a Bible study in Atlanta. And, annoyingly, my cell phone decided to break the night before I was supposed to leave and I didn't have a reliable backup, so I was without a good means of communication for three days and had to deal with buying a new phone when I got back. Ugh.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy, and please review! :D**

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><p>It was even more difficult for the Doctor and Amy to leave Clarion and River this time, but they promised to return for the birth of the royal twins. The king and queen had already named the Doctor and Amy the godparents of their children, which was, of course, a great honor.<p>

As the TARDIS flew off into space, Amy began wondering if they'd made the right decision in leaving as she rocked August in one of the console chairs nearest the Doctor. His back was to her, his fingers flitting chaotically over the controls like bees over newly-blossomed flowers, but a portion of his focus was always on her.

"There's no reason to be so worried, Amelia. River will be fine without us there," he said without even turning around.

"Ya know, this whole mind presence thing should be a heck of a lot creepier than it is," Amy remarked, stroking their son's soft, rosy skin.

"It's convenient on occasion, however." The Doctor parked his ship and swiveled around, crossing his arms and leaning back on the console. "River's one tough woman, Amy. And she has Clarion for support when she needs it."

"But anything could go wrong. I'm a prime example."

"You were carrying part-Time Lord children. There's a difference."

"Have humans ever mixed with Anavrinians before?"  
>The Doctor stroked his chin. "Well…no. But they're not that much different from each other, anatomically speaking. And River does have that miniscule streak of Time Lord in her. I seriously doubt she'll have much trouble."<p>

"Makes me wonder why I had to get stuck with you."

"Could have had something to do with the fact that you love me."

"Maybe just a bit…"

"Last I checked, three kids-worth was not 'a bit'."

"Wanna prove that?" Amy placed the sleeping August in his basinet and swayed towards her husband, twining her arms around his neck. His hands slid over her hips, pulling her into a hungry kiss.

Just as things were starting to get a little more heated, Ian and Jenna ricocheted into the console room from one of the corridors. They stopped dead in their tracks, and there was a collective 'ewwwww!', complete with sticking-out tongues. Both the Doctor and Amy sighed and reluctantly untangled from each other.

"Alright, you two; enough of that. I seem to recall that it was supposed to be naptime for a certain pair of rabble-rousers," boomed the Doctor. Ian and Jenna instantly fell silent, their eyes wide. A second later, they took off, laughing mischievously.

"Well one thing's for sure. They're very good at the running," Amy said with a chuckle.

"And here I was thinking running was a good thing." The Doctor lifted her chin and planted one last lingering kiss on her lips. "I'll handle this; perhaps tie them to their beds or something. Then we can pick up where we left off." He stroked her jaw with his thumb and then sprinted in the direction their children had gone, determined to be successful in his mission for obvious reasons.

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><p>August grew quickly while onboard the TARDIS, eating as hardily as Ian and Jenna had at the same age. Where his siblings had been overly small and just a little chubby, however, he had folds of cookie dough-like fat, with dimples everywhere. Amy often joked about it, affectionately calling him a 'wee greedy doughboy', but the Doctor promised it was only because he was destined to be tall. He even proved it to her by running a scan that affirmed August would be well over six feet by the time he was done growing.<p>

"Makes perfect sense, considering our heights," the Doctor remarked as he studied a tome that had to be a thousand pages long at his desk, diverting his attention from it as August rolled over for the fifth time. It seemed he enjoyed showing off.

"You are a bit of a giraffe, come to think of it," said Amy, who was sitting on the floor of their room with her long legs creating a barrier in between their son and all the interesting things that were still cluttered around. The Doctor couldn't help glancing at these too, his gaze traveling from the hem of her black velvet shorts to the perfect arches of her bare feet. The rose-pink polish on her toenails was a perfect complement to her creamy skin.

"Says the girl who stands at 5'11 even _without_ heels."

"Oi! Watch it, giraffe boy."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing. At least we tall people can reach the stuff on the highest shelves."

"And get called giants by everyone else."

"Yes, but we get to call them midgets."

"Or dwarves."

"But that would be disrespectful towards true dwarves."

Amy laughed until tears were leaking out of her eyes before she realized he wasn't joking. "Dwarves don't exist, Doctor. Aside from those people with stunted growth."

"Of course they exist! Where do you think the Grimm Brothers got the idea?"

"From fairytales. They're just fairytale people."

"Maybe on Earth, yes. Although they did visit at one time."

"Are you trying to tell me dwarves are…aliens?"

"What else could they be?"

"Medieval short people?"

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief.

"So what planet do they live on? Can we go see them?" Amy asked excitedly.

"Svartálfaheimr, and I'm not sure that's the best idea. They aren't the friendliest of species."

"Well neither are you in the morning. Talk about Grumpy."

"I believe that's you, dear."

"No, because Grumpy isn't a girl. Come on, Doctor. I wanna see a 'true dwarf'."

"Amy, you're still not completely well."

"Doctor! It's been two weeks since August's birth, and my stomach doesn't hurt as much anymore. If you're waiting for the scar to entirely disappear, I'm sorry to say it never will."

It was clear that the Doctor was having an internal battle over this matter. It most likely would have been easier to say no if she wasn't looking up at him with excitement shining in her eyes, her ginger hair falling in waves over her shoulders in a way that made him want to reach out and brush it back. Just when he was thinking this, she pulled it over so that it spilled over her right shoulder, exposing the creamy flesh of her neck and her collarbone, which was displayed beautifully by a fitted white boat-neck blouse. The Doctor sighed.

"Fine. We'll go," he conceded. "But only for an hour."

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><p>The dwarves were a primitive sort of people, living in the caves of their home planet and mining the precious minerals within merely for the purpose of hoarding them. They refused to trade these gems—which they guarded with their lives—with other planets and were therefore very poor, building up armaments against intruders while their burlap clothes became more tattered and food at home was rarely more than a few shriveled potatoes. They had no leader, but there was a Dwarvian soothsayer who held so much influence over them that every word she spoke was regarded as sacred.<p>

On the day the Doctor and Amy were to arrive, the Soothsayer sat in the innermost cavern of her temple, the air so thick with incense it was a wonder she or her attendants could even breathe. The dwarves had gone against their nature over the years and lavished finely-crafted trinkets on her: gold and silver bracelets set with lapis lazuli and turquoise went up to her brown, wrinkled elbows, a multitude of sapphire and diamond earrings lined her droopy-lobed ears, thick chains of gold inlaid with jasper, crystal, jade, opal, and alexandrite encircled her neck, and hoops and studs of different metals and jewels twisted through her nose. She wore a blood-red robe that was free of patches, and her head was shaved, scrolling tattoos etched in place of hair.

Three dwarves approached the Soothsayer cautiously, the largest and strongest of all of them in the lead but no less frightened. There were legends that the Soothsayer had the power to call up the Lord of the Underworld from his confines in the earth and order him to devour their souls, and there was not a dwarf alive who didn't believe it with all their being.

The Soothsayer's eyes didn't open until the lead dwarf stopped five feet away from her and cleared his throat, announcing his presence. Even then, the empty, lightless black of her irises—which were so large the white around them was nowhere to be seen—chilled him and his companions to the bone.

"Soothsayer. I mean, Your Gloriousness, O Knowing One, Great Seer of the Portents." The dwarf dropped to his knees reverently, hoping he had bestowed enough praise on her to preserve his life. The tip of his long, silvery-brown beard touched the stone floor and curled. If there was one thing the creatures coveted more than what their mines produced, it was their beards.

"What is it you wish to know, Digger?" The Soothsayer's voice was oddly strong for her considerable age—nearly two thousand years—but it was as emotionless as her eyes.

"It happens, O Esteemed One, that the Dwarvlight is—has been—has begun to burn a bright blue."

The Soothsayer's eyes, which had closed while he was stumbling over his words, snapped open again, wider than ever.

"We were wondering—it is a color we have never seen before, and it is quite curious, the way it glows brighter than any other color—if you could tell us what it means." Digger bowed his head, careful not to focus on those empty eyes. The Dwarvlight lay at the heart of Svartálfaheimr, and the dwarves held with the idea that it had had something to do with their origins. The shade of its cold flames often changed, predicting attack from neighboring planets in some cases and a lucky year of mining in others. They'd seen metal-gray, mustard-yellow, scarlet, vivid green, mauve, and even the blackest of blacks over the centuries, but never electric blue. At least amongst the dwarves that were living.

The Soothsayer had no need to close her eyes again and meditate until she arrived at an answer. There was a hostility boiling in her eyes, one so fierce it would be next to impossible to quench.

"It means we are about to encounter the worst of demons, Digger, and must prepare ourselves at once," the woman thundered ominously. "Summon the Beast!"

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><p><strong>In Norse mythology, svartálfar are beings who dwell in 'the world of the black elves', Svartálfaheimr. Both the svartálfar and Svartálfaheimr are mentioned in the<em> Prose Edda,<em> which was written in the 13th century. Apparently the svartálfar are synonymous with dwarves.**


	17. Not Your Average Disney Dwarf

**Sorry I've been kind of MIA lately. Finally started dating and it's a lot more distracting than I thought it would be lol. I'll do my best to keep up with this story, but keep in mind that the breaks between chapters may be longer than they have been in the past. I am in no way abandoning it, however, so no fear of that.**

**Once again, thanks for reading thus far, and please review :)**

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><p>"I give you, Svartálfaheimr!" The Doctor announced, flinging open the doors of the TARDIS. Amy peered around him to find an entirely mountainous, misty, and rather dismal land.<p>

"Kinda long and pointless name for such a place, don't ya think?" She remarked, unimpressed. "I mean, where do the dwarves live?"

The Doctor sighed. "Think about it, Amy."

"What, inside the mountains? I'm getting a little tired of all the species we've come across that have a thing for living in caves. And aside from the Anavrinian freedom fighters, they're rarely the nice sort."

"Well you were the one who wanted to come here. I did already warn you they aren't the 'nice sort', if you recall."

"I still wanna to see 'em. I have to compare 'em to the ones 'Snow White'."

"Just so you know, that was a gross misrepresentation. I've considered speaking to Mr. Walt Disney on the matter, but then again I'd rather not risk the possibility of losing that Disney World ride based off of it."

"Are you sure you're nine hundred and something years old?"

"Positive. Why do you ask?"

"Never mind." Amy shook her head resignedly.

"Where are the dwarves, Daddy?" Ian asked, shoving between them and taking in the barren mountains with hopeful eyes.

The Doctor ruffled his son's hair; the longer and floppier it got, the more fun it was to run one's fingers through. "They're underground, champ. Pickaxing away in their mines, most likely."

The Doctor had initially been against bringing the children, considering the dwarves' unpredictable nature, but Amy thought it would be best not to drop such a burden on Clarion and River when they were so close to having their own children. Besides—as she had pointed out—the trip could prove educational. The Doctor didn't want them growing up thinking that the dwarves in Snow White were accurate portrayals, did he?

So here they all were, August gazing up at his mother from his sling as if her face would reveal some clue as to what was going on, and Ian and Jenna all but falling out of the TARDIS in an effort to get past their parents and into the realm of the dwarves. Amy, however, managed to grab both of them by the hand and keep them relatively restrained.

"Now remember, just a quick look and then we leave," the Doctor warned them as they all stepped out onto the mountainside.

Without even so much of a warning, however, the family was instantly surrounded by a platoon of hostile-faced, armored dwarves, a collection of battle axes and thick-bladed swords pointed inches away from them. On instinct the Doctor reached out and circled his arm around Amy, pulling both her and August away from an enormous and particularly fatal-looking axe.

"I don't think your plan is gonna work out so well," Amy muttered back to him.

"Don't worry; I'll handle this," he responded in her ear. Adopting his friendliest, most booming voice, he then addressed the dwarves. "Hello there, good dwarf people! Lovely day out, isn't it? I'm sure it's nice to get out of the gloom of those caves every once and a while, eh?"

His only answer, however, was a few grunts and the brandishing of weapons. Apparently they weren't too keen on small talk, and they said nothing as they herded all five of them down the slope.

_Got any other bright ideas?_ Amy asked him irritatedly in his head.

_Well besides running, which seems a bit out of the question at the moment…not really._

_Brilliant. Do you think distracting them will work?_

_I doubt it. I have a bit of a—um…shall we say 'history' with these fellows. And it appears they haven't forgotten._

_What do you mean by 'history'?_

_Long story._

_No problem. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to tell it once they throw us into whatever kind of dungeon dwarves have._

_Well I'm sure it couldn't hurt to try and reason with them._

_Yeah, since that's worked the past five million times._

_Must you be so contrary every time I think of a plan, Pond?_

_That's not a plan, Doctor. That's a death wish._

_There you go again._

_Can't help it. I've gotta balance your optimism out somehow._

The Doctor shook his head and focused on trying to convince the dwarves to let them go. They were firm in their resolve, however, and continued through a mountain pass with nary a word to their hostages. Not even the 'what in the world is that over there?' method, complete with pointing at nothing in particular, could distract them from their task.

"Mummy, they don't look a thing like the dwarves in Snow White," Jenna muttered rather loudly, her eyes wide as she studied the little men. The young girl had recently discovered fairytales and, like most girls her age, had become besotted with the princess ideal the second she'd laid eyes on one in an illustration in the TARDIS library's storybook collection. Although Amy still wasn't too fond of the concept of believing in fairytales, she did feel that Jenna deserved what every little girl got to experience, even if she herself had been deprived of it. So she had asked the Doctor if he happened to have any of the Disney princess cartoons on hand, only mildly surprised when he proudly presented her with a box of every single one that had ever been made on rolls of film: the TARDIS happened to house a modestly-sized cinema. A movie marathon had commenced shortly after, at the end of which Jenna, Ian, and the Doctor were all soundly asleep and drooling slightly.

"I know, love. They're not near as nice, either, so make sure you stay close to me," Amy told her daughter in a low voice, her grip tightening on her hand.

"They're still short though," Ian remarked observantly.

The dwarves were indeed shorter than the average person, standing at approximately four and a half feet tall. They were a rough-looking bunch, dressed in burlap and matted furs that were haphazardly sewn together and patchwork boots. Their beards, ranging from stick-straight to excessively curly, tumbled almost to the ground, some restrained in braids. The rest of their hair was tied in a ponytail behind their heads and lacked the appearance of frequent washing. Their squarish hands were calloused, with dirt underneath every fingernail, and they gripped their axes and swords in the manner of one knowing how to use them well.

"Personally I think I prefer Disney's dwarves," Amy muttered to the Doctor, eyeing their escorts warily. Although being held at blade-point or gunpoint became the norm once you hung around the Doctor long enough, she was not yet as comfortable with it as he was.

"Nothing like a cold splash of reality right in the face though, eh? Besides, this was your idea."

"Well I was kinda banking on you being able to get us out of any sort of trouble we ran into."

"You say that like you expected us to run into trouble."

"With you around, it's a given."

"Your confidence in me is an overwhelming honor."

"Don't get used to it."

By the time the Doctor and Amy finished talking, they had entered what looked like a mining tunnel in the side of one of the largest mountains. It was roughly hewn from the rock, and the floor was uneven, so that the Doctor had to pick up both Ian and Jenna and awkwardly balance them on each hip until they reached smoother, better-lit ground. The tunnel wound on for miles until it opened out into a greater cavern several stories high, off of which spiraled a myriad of smaller tunnels. Unlike the caves of the Petramals and the Anavrinian Underground, it looked as if the dwarves had just used the space that was already there and added a shoddily-constructed tunnel here and there. They continued through the main cavern and down a wider tunnel than the first, ending at a smaller cave pungent with a thick smog of incense. The Doctor coughed and waved his hand in an attempt to clear it, with little success.

"Doctor."

The female voice echoed imperiously through the haze, and a wizened brown dwarf face materialized from the smoke, the unnatural eyes of which were glaring at the Time Lord with raw hatred.

The Doctor groaned. "Not you again."


	18. The Fenris

**Greetings Fanfiction world! I am still alive :)**

**Pleeeeeease review!**

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><p>River Song awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, her heart pounding almost out of her chest.<p>

"River, love?"

Clarion's touch on her shoulder triggered a realization of where she was, lying next to him in their safe, dark bedroom in the palace. Her hand fluttered to her stomach, which at nearly nine months was so large that putting shoes on herself or bending over very far were no longer options. Not that she was any less active; Clarion had caught her attempting to climb a stepladder one day on the pretense of hanging garland in preparation of Anavrin's version of Christmas and had been absolutely furious.

"River, what's wrong?"

River glanced over at her husband, taking a deep breath. "It was just a dream," she said dismissively, although her voice shook a little.

"What was it about?" Clarion pressed.

"It was nothing. It was actually quite short; I was walking through a tunnel, with rock all around me, and I could barely see where I was going. Then suddenly the tunnel opened out onto this enormous cavern, which was far longer than it was wide, and I kept feeling like I should see someone soon, but there was no one there. Then, suddenly, my foot caught on something, and when I bent down to investigate, it was…" River paused for a few seconds, closing her eyes "…it was the Doctor's jacket. And it was covered in blood. That's when I woke up."

"Oh, River." Clarion wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, stomach and all, lying back against the pillows with her. As he slipped his hand up under her endless ringlets and massaged the base of her skull, he felt her body relax and her heartbeat slow to its normal pace.

"It was all so real," she murmured into his shirt.

"Dreams have a tendency of being like that when they're exceptionally nasty," Clarion said softly, his voice resonating in his chest and making her drowsy again. "Just go back to sleep. Everything will be brighter in the morning."

River needed no encouragement. In the next instant she was out cold, her fingers twined with her husband's.

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><p>"And what right have you to return to Svartálfaheimr?" The dwarfish soothsayer demanded.<p>

"Hello there, Vestri old girl. Been a while. I really like what you've done with the new place. So much cozier than the last one, and incense is such a nicer replacement to the odor of sacrificial blood, don't you think?"

Vestri's eyes boiled irately. "You were warned never to come back. The penalty for doing so was to be your excruciatingly painful death."

"Must we be so harsh? I do so prefer parties, maybe with some cake and…crackers! I rather love crackers," the Doctor said brightly.

_Doctor, explain._ Amy's tone, even in his head, was insistent.

_Long story short, Vestri here used to have far more influence over this planet than she does now; she was revered as a god. She gave the order for a weapon of mass destruction to be built for her, something with the capability of destroying a whole planet at the very least. Of course I couldn't allow that, so I showed up and sort of…blew up her temple with what they'd constructed of the weapon so far. Complete accident, I assure you; I was looking for the off switch._

_Of course you were._

"Doctor, are you listening to me?" Vestri boomed.

"What? Oh yes, sorry, just having a little mental chat with my wife here. You were saying?"

"You will suffer the consequences for the crimes you've committed."

"Actually, Madam Great One—or whatever these little folk call you these days—I'm not the one who has committed crimes. Well as of late, anyway. You intended to destroy a planet belonging to peoples wishing to make peace and set up trade with you. If I just let that go, my name wouldn't be the Doctor. And, in case you're daft or have terrible short term memory loss, it is."

"The business of dwarves is no concern of yours."

"No, but the welfare of innocents is."

"Maybe you should have considered that before you brought your family here."

"Not a fan of tourism at all, are you?"

"Enough of this. Take him to the Abyss!" Vestri rumbled ominously.

"Good going, Captain Sunshine. You always come up with the completely wrong things to say to the people who hold the power of life and death over our heads," Amy snapped as the dwarf men shoved them all back into the corridor. Ian and Jenna had clammed up, clearly aware of the danger they were in, leaving August to gurgle nonsensically. Amy lifted him out of his sling and held him as close to her as possible, kissing his soft skin for comfort.

_No person can hold the power of life and death over you, Amy; remember that. There's always a way out._

_I'm sorry, but anything christened 'The Abyss' doesn't exactly strike me as some meadow we can just run away in._

The Doctor slipped his arm around her waist, leaning in so that his breath was hot on her neck and made the hairs stand up. _We'll get out, Amelia. I promise you that._

Amy bit her lip, wanting so hard to just believe him as she had when she was little. But experience and time had taken its toll, and she had a family to worry about now. It was near impossible to not fear the worst.

They were taken lower and lower into the heart of the mountain, where the air was far chillier. At the first suggestion of a shiver from Amy, the Doctor shrugged off his tweed jacket and wrapped it snugly around her shoulders, which she was grateful for. He and the children had the advantage of two hearts to keep them warm, although that did little to alleviate the dismalness in the air.

"So what exactly is this Abyss, eh?" The Doctor asked one of their escorts, an especially block-faced dwarf with a silvery-brown, braided beard who appeared to be the eldest of them all. Unsurprisingly, he received no answer. Equally unsurprisingly, he tried again. "Come now, chap. It's not like it would be giving away national secrets if we're going to die there."

There was a pause, and then another dwarf spoke up. "The Abyss is home to the Beast."

The elder dwarf shushed the one who had spoken. "The Great One's orders were to not fraternize with the prisoners. They are possessors of dark magic and could use your words against you."

"Superstitious lot, this," Amy noted.

The Doctor chuckled. "If we possessed dark magic don't you think we would have used it by now on all your silly weapons?"

The dwarves glanced warily at each other, seeing the reason in this. Amy didn't think 'silly' was a proper label for the battle axes and swords, considering she was pretty sure she'd seen a rusty smear of dried blood on a blade nearest her, but decided to hold her tongue.

"The Beast—also known as the Fenris—is an eons-old being, believed to have been in existence even before we dwarves were created. He used to attack us from time to time, devouring our children, until the Soothsayer chained him in the bowels of the earth and put him to use destroying our enemies. It is to his abode you go now."

Amy gulped. She heard Jenna whimper and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Sounds like a lovely chap," the Doctor commented.

They were just rounding the bend of the tunnel when a younger dwarf, this one female and with russet hair to her waist, met them from an adjoining tunnel. The procession stopped, due to the fact that she was blocking the way.

"What do you want, Freya?" The elder dwarf demanded, perturbed that their progress had been stilted.

"The Soothsayer sent me to retrieve the children, Digger. She has decided only the Doctor and his wife will perish," Freya informed him, her voice unusually soft and lilting. She was dressed a little differently than her people, in a green dress that was a bit worn but not patched and boots that were shined, as if she actually cared about her appearance. She also seemed to be more fond of bathing, and her smooth hair was brushed out, with braids here and there entwined with white flowers that could only have come from the surface. Her amber-brown eyes glimmered in the lantern light.

Digger narrowed his eyes at her. "What does the Knowing One want with demon offspring? They are as guilty as their father."

"So much for the innocence of minors," the Doctor muttered to Amy.

"Yes, but the Soothsayer always has need of slaves," Freya answered matter-o-factly.

Digger hesitated a moment, but he dared not argue a command from the Soothsayer. "Fine. Take them."

"No!" Amy shouted, clutching August tighter and moving away as Freya stepped forward. Without warning, one of the dwarves slammed the pommel of his sword into Amy's back, and she cried out as she fell. Ian and Jenna yelled 'Mum!' in unison.

"Amy!" The Doctor shouted, catching her before she hit the ground. She curled up against him, gasping in pain, August wailing in her arms. The Doctor glared at the dwarf who had struck her. "That was completely unnecessary!" He thundered.

The dwarf merely shrugged.

"Doctor, don't let them do it. Don't let them take our children," Amy pleaded.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, Amelia. It will be better if they are released from our fate," the Doctor told her softly.

Amy shook her head stubbornly. "Not if they have to serve these tiny weirdos."

"Would you rather them be the Fenris's mid-morning snack?"

Amy didn't reply, but she also didn't fight when Freya took their baby from her. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she pulled Ian and Jenna into a last embrace, kissing their cheeks.

"Mummy, why is she taking us?" Ian asked waveringly.

"I don't want to go with the short lady, Mummy. I want to stay with you and Daddy," Jenna chimed in, clearly frightened.

"I know, darlings. But you have to go with her for now," Amy said, tears still flowing.

"Will you come and get us later?" Ian questioned.

Amy smiled wanly. "Before you know it."

Ian and Jenna looked at each other. "Well, alright then," Ian decided. They both hugged the Doctor before turning and leaving with Freya, who had somehow managed to calm August down. As they disappeared from sight, Amy broke down entirely, sobbing into her husband's shirt.

"That's enough dawdling. Get up," Digger snapped, threatening them with the sharp edge of his axe.

The Doctor helped Amy to her feet, kissing her temple in hopes it would give her strength. She sniffed a few times and drew his coat closer about her shoulders, but no more tears trickled down her cheeks, and she held her head high. The Doctor slid his hand into his, and they continued on towards their doom.

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><p><strong>Vestri is one of the four dwarves from the Norse <em>Prose Edda<em> who each support one of the four cardinal points, together upholding the sky. 'Vestri' would be 'West'. Freya, or rather Freyja, is a well-known Norse goddess**, **associated with love, beauty, fertility, gold, sorcery, war, and death**.** The Fenris, or rather the Fenris Wolf (also know as Fenrir), is a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology prophesied to one day destroy the world, and is therefore bound by the gods.**


	19. Bittersweet Escape

**Oh look at that, a punctual chapter update for the first time in a while lol.**

**Thanks for hanging around, please review! :)**

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><p>The Abyss was vast, longer than it was wide, with rock walls that soared up into darkness. All sound echoed off these walls, loudest of all the one that resulted when the dwarves slammed the stone door shut behind the Doctor and Amy.<p>

Amy glanced around, terrified, as her eyes adjusted to the light of the crude lanterns interspersed along the walls. There were heaps of clothing lying about, along with white and gleaming objects that were most likely bones, but she forced herself to tear her gaze from these reminders of what was to happen to them. A shiver completely unrelated to the temperature of the chasm went down her spine.

"Where is it?" She asked, flinching as her voice echoed and hoping the Fenris had terrible hearing.

"I don't know. This sort of being tends to enjoy hiding in the shadows before striking."

"Well that's real encouraging."

"Amelia Pond." The Doctor took her hands in his, kissing them delicately. His love for her could be seen radiating in his face despite the weak lighting. "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the universe, and that you mean everything to me."

"Oh forget that," Amy said impatiently, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and kissing him with all her might. His arms encircled her, pressing her closer, and for a moment both the Abyss and the Fenris slipped their minds.

Until a growl emanated from only a few yards away.

The Doctor sighed. "Well he certainly has bad timing."

"Doctor, what do we do?" Amy whispered.

"We could see if he can understand us," he suggested.

"I vote we don't."

"We don't really have much of a choice, Amy." The Doctor turned in the direction the growl had come from. "Hello there, Fenris! How goes the day? Er, or night; not exactly sure on that."

The only response was increasingly louder growling, followed by a feral howl.

"What now?" Amy demanded, her heart pounding.

"Run!"

Seeing as her instincts had been screaming at her to do this since they'd entered the Abyss, Amy had no problem following through. They raced in the opposite direction of the growl, trying to keep their balance on the rough floor of the cavern. Large, clawed paws struck the stone behind them, hot in pursuit.

"Split up! It may confuse him!" The Doctor yelled, veering off to the side. Amy did as well, and the beast skittered about, trying to figure out which morsel to go after. Ultimately it chose Amy, and although she sped up, she could hear the great wolf bearing down on her.

"Oi you, you big beastie! This way!"

Amy stumbled to a halt and turned, chest heaving. She was greeted by the terrible sight of the Fenris, bigger than a horse with matted black fur and razor-sharp teeth, shifting its lamp-like yellow eyes from her to the Doctor. It immediately changed course.

"No!" Amy shouted, but the Fenris was already locked in on its new target. Casting about frantically, she sighted something silver in the skeletal hand of one of the wolf's many victims. Without hesitating she ran for it, retrieving the sword from its long-dead owner. It was heavy, but the blade was still sharp and free of rust. It would do.

"Hey Fenris!"

The enormous wolf paused mere feet from the Doctor and turned to look at the ginger-haired girl flying towards it. It bared its teeth, but already Amy was before it, thrusting the sword up into the beast's heart all the way to its hilt.

A very unnatural shriek of pain tore from the Fenris's throat. Its yellow eyes blazed with fury, and, with the last of its strength, it swept its great paw at Amy. The curved claws raked across her back, ripping through the Doctor's jacket and into her skin, and the sheer force from it hurled her into the far wall. There was a crack of bone as she slammed into the jagged rock and fell to the ground, her body limp and her red locks covering her face.

"NOOOO!"

The Doctor sprinted past the Fenris, which was currently curled up on the ground gasping its last breaths, and collapsed next to his wife. He flipped her on her back, horrified at the blood gushing from her wounds and staining her clothes. _So much blood…_

Her eyes were closed, a bruise covered her nose and one side of her face, and blood was trickling from a cut on her lip. Her heart was still beating, miraculously, but her breath was coming in shallow, and the Doctor knew she didn't have much time. Gathering her up in his arms, he raced back the way they had come, hoping against hope that the dwarves had forgotten to lock the door.

As if in answer to his prayer, the door creaked open before he even reached it, revealing a familiar dwarf woman wearing Amy's baby sling.

"Freya! What took you so long?" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Sorry; it's a little difficult getting two Time Lord children aboveground without anyone seeing them, you know. And then I had to hide them in a safe place," Freya answered. Her gaze fell on Amy's prone form. "Oh dear."

"We have to get her to the TARDIS. Immediately," the Doctor told her.

Freya nodded. "Follow me."

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><p>It was a challenge navigating the tunnels at a quick pace without running into any of the other dwarves, but they managed it for most of the way thanks to Freya's knowledge of all the lesser-used passages. By the time they were nearly to the surface, there was a cry from somewhere behind them and a pounding of booted feet. The dwarves had discovered the dead Fenris and the open door to the Abyss, and they didn't sound too happy.<p>

"FASTER!" Freya shouted, dodging an elderly couple who were both stunned at the sight of them all.

The Doctor complied. Amy's weight felt like nothing as adrenaline pumped through his veins, spurring him onward. They encountered more dwarves along the way, but by the time they had recovered from their initial shock, the odd escapees were long gone.

The foggy air was heady with freedom as they burst out into it, but both the Doctor and Freya knew they couldn't stop yet. The dwarf warriors were right behind them, swords and axes aloft, bellowing angrily at them.

But the natives of Svartálfaheimr were too late. Ian and Jenna came running out to meet their parents from the cover of a small cave in the mountainside, and a second later they were all in the TARDIS, Freya closing the door with a snap behind them. The time machine disappeared before the dwarves' very eyes.

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><p>The Doctor gingerly laid Amy on the console platform and then descended upon the controls, hurriedly punching in the coordinates for Anavrin. Freya watched him work, Ian, Jenna, and August clinging to her in fright due to all their little eyes had seen. She had only been in the TARDIS once before, during the Doctor's first visit to Svartálfaheimr. She was the only one of her people who had been against Vestri's dastardly plan to destroy their neighbors and had, in fact, been the one who had gotten the Doctor into the high-security chamber where the weapon was kept at the time. She was glad she had the opportunity to see the amazing interior of his ship once more.<p>

They landed seconds after taking off, and, not wasting another moment, the Doctor scooped his broken wife into his arms and barreled out the doors of the TARDIS.

"Where are we?" Freya asked, taking in the extravagant, marble-floored corridor they were standing in.

"Friends' place," the Doctor said briefly over his shoulder as he dashed down the corridor and crashed through the door into the throne room.

The colossal chamber fell silent at once, everyone in it looking at them in bewilderment. It appeared Clarion and River were in the middle of holding court, seated on a dais nearby.

"Doctor!" River shot up, her expression reflecting her horror at the sight of her nightmare having come to fruition. Her blue maternity dress billowed around her as she rushed over, eyes wide and a hand pressed to her mouth.

"Do you have a medical bay? Infirmary? Hospital? Anything; she's dying!" The Doctor shouted hysterically, now in full panic mode.

"The palace does have an infirmary, and the best surgeons Arbora has to offer," Clarion spoke up, coming up behind the queen.

"Marvelous! Take me there," said the Doctor.

Clarion nodded and headed for a corridor on the opposite wall, leaving his court and Freya behind, who allowed herself and the children to be led away by a flock of nannies the king had summoned.

Once they reached the infirmary, Clarion spoke with the surgeons, who quickly motioned for the Doctor to follow them to the operating room. River made to join them, but Clarion held her back.

"You've had enough stress in the past fifteen minutes alone, love. Let them do their job," Clarion told her in a gentle tone.

"But Amy—" River began obstinately.

"—is in good hands. Don't fret over it; what will be will be."

River didn't look ready to give in just yet.

"River, please. Think of the welfare of our children. Worrying isn't healthy for either you or them." Clarion grasped her shoulders, his eyes focused on hers. "Please," he repeated.

River returned his gaze evenly, then sighed. "Alright, alright. But I want to be notified on her condition if anything changes," she ordered as he started leading her away.

"Of course, dear."


	20. Ancient Impossibility

**Reviews very much appreciated! :D**

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><p><em>Come on, Pond. You can pull through this.<em> The Doctor received no response, however. Amy's brain was closed to him, and the cold, empty feeling he got from probing into it made him shiver. Fingers knotted in his hair and biting his lip, he watched from a chair in the corner as the surgeons put her on a ventilator. Then they removed her stained clothing and worked quickly to stop the bleeding. Her face was turned towards him, and despite the fact that it was bruised on one side and pale as death on the other, his first thought was how ridiculously beautiful she looked, and his second that this, like everything else, was his fault.

The surgeons began cleaning the wounds and stitching them up, binding them when they were done. Setting the bones that had broken followed. It was an hours-long process, and by the time it was over the Doctor sprung to his feet eagerly.

"Is she okay now? Is she going to be alright?" He demanded.

The surgeons looked at each other, their expressions not boding well for someone desperately wanting good news. One of them, who appeared to have the most experience, took the responsibility of breaking the news.

"I…I regret telling you this, sir, but if we take your wife off the ventilator, she won't breathe on her own. We've done the best we could, but her heart's failing as we speak."

The Doctor's whole world crashed down around him at these words. He fell to his knees, still not quite believing it. Amelia Jessica Pond, _his_ Pond, was dying, and not even the medical professionals could help her this time. It felt as if his very existence hung suspended from the strong rope that was Amy, but now that that rope was fraying, everything around him was shattering and collapsing like delicate glass. It seemed as if his own two hearts were failing him. He was vaguely aware of the surgeon placing a consoling hand on his shoulder, but the contact barely registered. The gears in his head were meshing together at a furious speed, trying to retrieve something, anything, that would save her.

Suddenly, a memory struck him. Something he'd heard growing up, a legend of sorts, about the first Time Lords. The legend—some called it a myth, for no Gallifreyan native had managed it in eons—went that the breath of the ancients had once had near magical qualities; the power to heal, to restore…

The Doctor immediately leapt to his feet, surprising the surgeons. He sprinted over to operating table and reached for the ventilator keeping Amy alive for the moment.

"Sir! What in Anavrin do you think you're doing?" One of the surgeons exclaimed in shock.

"Something most definitely incredibly stupid and ridiculously improbable, but it's the only chance I've got," the Doctor stated, concentration furrowing his brow. With care he extricated the tube from her windpipe. It took less than a minute for the machines hooked up to her to spaz out as her heart rate became a flat line, and without wasting any more time, without even waiting to question the sheer luck he was counting on, he lowered his mouth to hers and exhaled. At first, nothing happened. Panicking a little, he tried again, forcing his alien oxygen into her human lungs.

On the third try, the surgeons suddenly gasped. The Doctor pulled back a few inches and was surprised to find that Amy Pond was glowing. Well, not all of her; there was a track of golden light following her windpipe to her lungs, expanding to where her heart was as well, as if she'd swallowed a flock of fireflies. With a great heave of her bandaged chest, she began breathing on her own.

"Impossible," a surgeon muttered, still dumbfounded by the medical miracle that had just taken place. "What…what are you?"

The Doctor grinned. "Let's just say an ancient impossibility," he answered as he watched the color return to his wife's face.

The surgeons shook their heads, unable to explain what had just occurred but thankful that their rulers' friend had survived. They moved her to the greater room of the infirmary, into a bed that was sectioned off by a curtain, and ensured that her system was stable. Then they left to report to the king as he had instructed, leaving the Doctor standing by the bed.

Once they were alone, the Doctor attempted entering Amy's mind again. It was no longer cold and empty but open and welcoming, putting him in mind of the warmth of golden sunshine. Her eyes fluttered open, settling on his face.

"Did ya attack me with a cricket bat or something?" She asked croakily, groaning.

The Doctor smiled, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling. "The Fenris didn't take too kindly to you killing it, I'm afraid."

At this, everything came flooding back to Amy. On instinct she tried to sit up, unaware that they had made it off the dwarves' planet, and immediately cried out in pain. His smile vanishing, the Doctor helped her lay back down, pulling the blanket around her injured body.

"I'm also afraid you won't be up and about just yet. You have a number of injuries and broken bones that need to heal first," he informed her, gently brushing the ginger hair out of her face.

"Doctor, what happened?" Amy asked wearily.

"Well after the Fenris got his revenge and then died, Freya came and rescued us."

"But Freya was the one who took our children," Amy interrupted, her eyes roving the room in hopes of finding them nearby.

"It was a bluff, and a good one at that. Freya helped me defeat Vestri the first time."

"So Ian and Jenna and August—"

"Are most likely terrorizing the nannies as we speak. We managed to get out of the tunnels and to the TARDIS before the dwarves caught up to us. We're on Anavrin now, in the palace's infirmary."

Amy relaxed at this, relieved to hear that her precious babies were not and had never been in the clutches of the dwarfish soothsayer. A sudden thought made her frown. "But…but I was dead. Or I was dying. I remember…it was all dark, and then suddenly I wasn't…me. Or I was, but it was like I was looking down at myself, and you were…don't tell me that true love's kiss nonsense is real."

A smile tugged at the corner of the Doctor's mouth, even though he didn't like being reminded of how close he'd come to losing her forever. "Not exactly. There's this Gallifreyan legend, which tells a tale of the first Time Lords and how their breath could be life-restoring. My generation believed it to be a myth—just another lofty elevation of our race invented by proud people. But like you said, you were dying, and I figured it couldn't hurt to try."

"Well that really was a shot in the dark, wasn't it?" Amy reached out for his hand, fingers threading through his. "Thank you." She grinned. "Although I don't think I would have minded if it had been a kiss."

"I believe I can help you with that." The Doctor leaned down and captured her lips with his, marveling at the softness of them, a fire igniting in the pit of his stomach. They kissed like they never had before and never would again, eyes closed, hearts thrumming in sync…

"Great. Right when I thought I'd gotten rid of this disturbing image, you two have to go and sear it into my memory again."

"Hello again to you too, River Song," the Doctor sighed, separating himself from his wife rather reluctantly.

River was standing in the opening of the curtain, arms crossed over her prominent belly and eyebrow raised. She didn't look the least bit surprised.

"Hallo, River. It's been a couple months, hasn't it?" Amy greeted, noting the growth of the twins since the last time they'd been there.

"A couple, yes. My due date is only a few weeks away now," River told her, moving to the other side of the bed and squeezing the hand that wasn't currently enveloped in the Doctor's. "You gave us quite a scare, you know."

"Sorry 'bout that." Amy looked at the Doctor. "I promise I won't demand to see real dwarves ever again, especially ones with humongous demon wolves living in their abysses."

"Good grief, you took her to Svartálfaheimr?" River leaned over and popped the Doctor on the forehead, eliciting an 'Oi!' from him. "What the devil were you thinking?"

"It's not really his fault, River. I begged him to," Amy spoke up before the woman could do further damage.

"Still, he should have known better than to take you. No one goes to Svartálfaheimr if they want to come back alive." River glared pointedly at him.

"I know, I know. Don't think I don't feel bad enough about it already," said the Doctor, the guilt showing in his face.

"Stop it, Doctor. I'm not gonna let you take the blame for this too," Amy told him stubbornly. "You think that every time I get hurt, it's because of you, even if it's just when I trip on a sidewalk at the fault of my own clumsiness."

"But without me taking you there—"

"I would have most likely tried to pilot the TARDIS there myself and ended up in worse trouble. Face it, Doctor; you're not winning this argument."

The Doctor chuckled. "Don't waste all your strength on my account," he replied, stroking the uninjured side of her face.

River rolled her eyes. "I'll let you get some sleep, Amy," she said, starting to leave. She stopped in the curtain's opening and turned, brandishing a finger at the Doctor. "Did you hear that, Doctor? _Sleep,_ and nothing else. I don't want any funny business going on in here while Amy's trying to convalesce."

"River, she can barely move," the Doctor pointed out.

"That's never stopped you before." With that, River was gone.

The Doctor waited until the door of the infirmary snapped shut before sliding under the covers next to Amy and wrapping his arms around her gingerly. "She didn't say anything about snogging," he said mischievously before claiming her lips once more.


	21. The TARDIS's Secret

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update, guys. I recently finished my novel and am now going back and editing it, and have to add a few more scenes to get it up to 60,000 words. So basically I have to put this on the shelf on occasion. And besides that I've been pretty busy. I'll be going to Florida on vacation next week, so please bear with me during that time.**

**By the way, who saw the Girl Who Waited? I just have to say amazing acting on Karen Gillan's part, as well as Matt and Arthur. And I do rather like the Doctor's new coat :D**

**Please review!**

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><p>Amy's recovery was gradual yet steady over the next several days, as her body worked hard to repair bones and tissue alike. The Doctor's life-giving breath seemed to have had some kind of effect on her healing process, speeding it up a little so that it took weeks instead of months. River checked in often to make sure the Doctor was behaving himself, usually bringing Ian, Jenna and August with her. The children were delighted to see their mother alive, especially August, who had a greedy tummy to satisfy. They stayed until Amy started to grow weary again—something she tried to hide even though her many watchers were far too observant for it to work—and then River would whisk them away, leaving the Doctor to hold her while she drifted off to sleep. She generally slept deeper when he was nearby.<p>

Freya came to visit on occasion as well, mixing up balms with ingredients she found around the palace to apply to Amy's many bruises and cuts. As a result of the dwarf's careful attention, the bruise that had once spanned half of her face was starting to fade, taking on the yellow hue that meant it would soon turn back to her natural skin color.

The doctors who tended to the patients in the infirmary—and anyone else who tried—soon found it impossible to separate the Doctor from their redheaded charge. At first they tried to establish a visiting period, in hopes of allowing Amy more time to sleep, but this proved counterproductive considering she would stubbornly remain wide awake when he wasn't there. Not to mention they usually ended up conversing mentally anyway, even when the Doctor was on the other side of the palace. Eventually they gave up, and although they were reluctant to admit it, it was noted that she improved quicker when he was right by her side.

"What are you wearing?" Amy asked incredulously one day when the Doctor came waltzing into her cubicle after one of his very rare—and very short—absences.

The Doctor grinned and spun on the spot, the olive-green military-style coat he had on in place of his tweed jacket spinning with him. "Thought I'd switch it up a bit," he replied cheerfully, not mentioning that putting on a new tweed jacket would only refresh the memory of exactly how the old one had been ruined. He'd decided to wait a little while before going back to it. "What do you think?"

"I think you still look like an idiot," Amy said critically. Regardless, a smile soon crept onto her lips. "My idiot."

"Thanks…I suppose." The Doctor paused by the foot of her bed, trying to get a good view of his new accessory in the overshined brass knob on one of the posts.

_Personally, however, I wouldn't mind too terribly if you took it all off,_ Amy thought to him, roguishness lacing her words.

The Doctor's head shot up. "Well aren't you a naughty girl. You must be feeling better," he said, his eyes twinkling as he moved towards her.

"It has been a while," Amy responded beguilingly.

The Doctor took off his coat, draping it over the back of the nearby chair, and laid next to her on top of the blanket instead of under it with her. Trapping her head between his arms, he leaned down and kissed her gently.

"You and I both know you're still not well enough for that," he murmured.

Amy was not to be dissuaded just yet. She crooned his Gallifreyan name to him in the softest, most enticing tone she could muster, infusing it with the longing she was feeling. A groan echoed in the back of the Doctor's throat, but he managed to control himself, his lips lightly brushing against the tip of her nose.

"Soon, Pond, but not now. Not until you're mostly mended," he told her in his language, tracing his finger down her chin.

Amy pouted in disappointment. "Being an invalid is no fun at all," she complained, switching from English as well.

"Now now, none of that talk," the Doctor ordered, pressing two fingers against the rose-flush pucker of her lips. "We could play a game."

"How about spin the bottle?" Amy suggested, grabbing his collar with the hand that wasn't in a brace and kissing him.

"I mean it, Amelia."

Amy sighed. His warnings sounded even more serious in Gallifreyan. "Fine. Your pick."

Excited by this prospect, the Doctor galloped off. He returned a few minutes later with a deck of cards and proceeded to teach her the rules of a card game that had once been all the rage amongst the Time Lords. At first Amy was skeptical, but she got into it almost immediately, and by the time the Doctor told her they needed to stop so she could get some rest she was protesting quite emphatically. Eventually he got her to calm down—there was quite a bit of snogging involved—after which her exhausted body quickly forced her into a heavy, repairing sleep. The Doctor smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead before slipping off to find Freya.

"How's your wife doing?" Freya asked concernedly when the Doctor approached her. She'd adapted to Anavrinian life rather well in the short time she'd been there, even wearing their fashions and doing her hair in the same way as the court women.

"She's improving rapidly. Your balms have been a great help," the Doctor answered.

Freya smiled. "I like to do what I can," she told him demurely.

"Tell me, Freya, do you have any desire to return to Svartálfaheimr? Any family you've left behind?" The Doctor asked, leaning against the wall facing her and crossing his arms.

Freya shook her head. "My family's dead and gone. Truthfully, I'd been hoping for ages that you'd come back someday, take me away from the oppression I suffered at the hands of my own people." The dwarf's smile widened. "I thought you never would, but I was wrong. You came after all, and brought me to this wonderful planet where I've been offered a position in the court."

The Doctor cleared his throat awkwardly, knowing perfectly well that he would have never returned if Amy had not insisted upon it. "I'm glad to hear you're happy here."

"Oh, very much so." Freya squinted up at him. "But you know, I never figured on you becoming a family man again. Dwarves are very good at sensing what a person's life has been like up to the point, and the first time I met you, yours seemed so sad, full of things no one should be able to see and keep going on afterward like you do."

"I never figured on it either, until Amy. She's…really something. No; she's extraordinary."

Freya chuckled. "So I've noticed. No one's ever survived the Fenris before, let alone succeeded in killing it."

The Doctor beamed proudly.

"Although…there's something about what I can sense, like it was planned."

The Doctor's smile faltered. "How do you mean? Everything that's happened up to this point has been purely accidental."

"Here, give me your hand," Freya said, extending her own hand. He complied, briefly reminded of Eudora as she ran a stubby finger down the lines in his palm, concentrating. She winced as she read the tragedy and pain written there, the mere flickers of their memories on the backs of her eyelids almost too much for her to bear. "Ah, here it is. I see several events that don't quite follow the pattern of your life. It begins at…the third time you landed in Amy's garden, before she became your wife and the first time she traveled with you. The others involve…the Fountain of Youth and a landing on the planet of Dulkis, where you were married unknowingly. All of these were organized by an exterior force."

Freya had his full attention now. "Are you saying someone tampered with the TARDIS's coordinates?"

The dwarf closed her eyes again. "More like something. An ancient being, old, if not older, as your race…" Freya laughed weakly. "This is going to sound crazy, but it's almost as if…as if it's your ship in of itself. But that can't be; time machines aren't alive."

The Doctor's expression darkened as realization dawned on him. "Excuse me, Freya. I think it's time I had a little chat with a certain lifeless time machine."


	22. Fixed Points

**Reviews please! :)**

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><p>The TARDIS's interior seemed innocent when the Doctor entered it. Every shiny knob and colorful doodad and useless coupler valve appeared as if it had just been polished. In fact, the entire console room looked as if it had just been cleaned, although her pilot was positive he hadn't cleaned up the place in years, most likely centuries.<p>

"Oh don't you play that with me, _dear_. The secret's out!" The Doctor bellowed angrily at nothing in particular, jumping up onto the console platform. When he received no response, he continued. "What in the universe _possessed_ you to—to interfere like that? You ruined her life!"

There was a humming noise, which to anyone else would sound like machinery at work but to a Time Lord was something akin to words forming themselves in his brain. The connection rarely lasted long; speech was not something that came naturally to a consciousness born entirely of the time vortex.

_**She was destined to be your mate. And she is special.**_

"What do you mean by 'destined'? She was about to marry a rather nice bloke before you decided to butt in."

_**She was not meant to be his partner. She was meant to be yours.**_

"I'm sorry; I must have missed the memo about you picking up _bloody_ matchmaking as a hobby!"

_**Amelia Pond is special. Amelia Pond is different from the other humans. Amelia Pond has a purpose.**_

"Ah so you're taking up poetry now, are you? I wasn't aware we were supposed to speak in riddles."

_**Why are you unhappy? You were lonely. A spaceship does not make a good wife, although I have done my best. And you love her.**_

The Doctor sighed. "Yes, I love her. But you're still skirting the question here. What is this 'purpose' that she has? Why was it so important to take her away from Leadworth, to make her eternal, to stick her with me?"

There was a lapse. _**For the same reason I stole you from Gallifrey.**_

"You didn't steal me. I borrowed you. I was always going to bring you back, of course."

The TARDIS made a chirping noise that stood in for giggling. _**That's what I wanted you to think, my thief.**_

"When you plan on making sense, please let me know."

_**You have forgotten that I am of the time vortex, Doctor. I see what was and what is and what could be, although on a far larger scale than you do. Before you even set foot inside me I saw the eventual corruption of your race, and I despaired, for the universe needs Time Lords protecting it. So I stole you, you who were so special, so different from the other residents of Gallifrey. I believed one surviving Time Lord would be enough, and for a time it was. But you cannot live forever.**_

"And then we crash-landed in little Amelia Pond's back garden," the Doctor continued with a groan. He sunk down on the ledge of the console platform, massaging his temples as he processed this information. "I suppose that's when you got your bright idea."

_**I was not sure about her at first. I was still regenerating, as you were, and was disoriented. But I did see potential in her, what with that crack in time and space that had affected her. When we came back the second time, however, I knew. All I had to do was jump ahead in her timestream to an age a bit closer to what you appear to be.**_

"And also one that would be easier for her to bear children at. My children, specifically," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "So this is what makes her special? Being a Time Lord factory?" All the jokes that had been made on the subject suddenly came flooding back to him, and he wished presently that he hadn't taken them so lightly.

_**That is not all she was destined for. She is the companion who shall never leave, your perfect match, your other half. There have been many times when you should have died, and yet she saved your life, and you've saved hers as well. You two can communicate not only telepathically but also in Gallifreyan, a feat that should only be possible between Time Lords. Her lungs even accepted the Life-breath of the Ancients. All of this I saw as what could come to pass, and the strength of the bond was far too great to ignore.**_

"You could have just left well enough alone. You could have let her marry Rory and be normal and free from danger and let me die the last of my kind."

_**And let the universe tear itself apart? I couldn't allow that to happen, Doctor. You must understand that. Besides, Amelia Pond would not have lived a normal life; she was not born for a normal life. The births of your children are fixed points; all that has come to be would have happened in one way or another. I merely helped it along. The other possible paths were far less pleasant than the one I chose for you.**_

"You could have at least consulted me first."

_**You would have stopped me.**_

"Yes. Yes I would have."

_**We've had our good times together, you and I. The Doctor and his Sexy.**_

"_Dear!"_

_**Oh it's not like we aren't alone. Anyway, we've had our good times together, and we shall have even more as a family.**_

"Funny. Most families don't have to deal with their mobile homes meddling in their personal affairs."

The TARDIS chirped merrily again, but this time it was a slow, lethargic sound, indicating that she was nearing the end of her conversing energy.

"Well just so you know, I'm not forgiving you for all of this quite yet," the Doctor announced, standing up and heading for the doors. He paused, his hand resting on the blue-painted wood. "But I do appreciate you looking out for me, old girl," he said in a low voice. The TARDIS hummed warmly in response.

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><p>The Doctor watched his wife sleep, wondering if he should tell her who was responsible for turning her life upside down. His eyes traveled over her face, studying the gentle arches of her eyebrows, the dark lashes resting on her cheeks, the small part between her soft lips, the ginger hair cupping her chin. She was breathtaking even with the fading scars and bruises left over from the battering she had taken in order to save him. He knew the TARDIS had been wise in her decision; He loved Amy more than his own life, and without her he would rather be dead. The fact that she was the mother of his children still made him glow with pride, even now that he knew they'd had little choice in the matter.<p>

_For the same reason I stole you from Gallifrey._ The words rung in the Doctor's head as if the TARDIS was still saying them. An image flashed into his brain, a recollection from centuries in the past, of the first time he'd ever walked into the time machine, rested his hand on the console, and stated that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever known. She'd lured Amy just like she'd lured him, with the promise of new and exciting places and worlds beyond what the greatest imagination could create, of space and time, planets and supernovas, and fascinating races in constant need of rescuing. It had been impossible for either of them to resist.

Amy's brow furrowed in her sleep, her head tossing to the side and her hand clenching the pillow. Recognizing the onset of a nightmare, the Doctor pushed his thoughts away for the moment and kicked off his shoes so that he could climb into bed with her. Once she was safely enclosed in his arms, she stopped struggling with her invisible foe and relaxed, a great sigh echoing through her body. The Doctor pressed his lips to her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Being this close in proximity to her, it didn't take long for the Time Lord's doubts to fade, for him to forget that their lives together had been more than an accident as they had both believed. He forgot everything but the warmth radiating off her skin, the familiar aroma of her hair, the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and found himself being lulled into the deep slumber that he had been avoiding for days.


	23. An Anavrinian 'Christmas'

**Yes I realize it's been aeons since I updated. And yes Florida was fun, aside from the sun thinking it needed to fry me like an egg on a sidewalk and the sand that insisted on following me home.**

**As always, me likey the reviews. :D**

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><p>By the time Amy had recovered enough to move from the infirmary to one of the palace's guest chambers, the Doctor still hadn't told her about their home's interference in their lives. It hardly seemed an issue, and Amy was preoccupied enough with all three of their children vying for her attention. Between Ian and Jenna making get well soon cards and presents out of anything and everything they could find and August's appetite, the Doctor was surprised that his wife's head hadn't exploded already. Of course, like the TARDIS had said, she was no ordinary human, but that fact didn't keep him from chipping in to prevent them from suffocating her with their eagerness. Thankfully there was always a nanny on hand whenever Amy needed sleep or the Doctor needed time to clear his frazzled mind, or when they wanted to be alone together.<p>

There came a day, however, as the Doctor knew it would, when Amy grew restless being confined to a bed, despite his efforts to distract her.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Pond?" He asked as he helped her into a pair of boot-cut jeans and a warm green V-neck sweater that he'd brought her from her section of the TARDIS closet.

"Doctor, I've been stuck in a bed for three weeks with a million overprotective wardens monitoring me. There is no way I'm missing out on seeing what an Anavrinian Christmas is like," Amy answered, trying not to wince as she scooted to the edge of the bed so he could put her fur-cuffed ankle boots on her feet. Although all of her bones were mended and most of her cuts had healed over, everything was still tender, and her muscles were trying to convince her to lie back down.

"Well technically it's the Winter Solstice."

"Same difference; if you put up decorations and have a feast you might as well call it Christmas."

The Doctor chuckled, his hand resting on her calf a little longer than it needed to. "The point is, it's a miracle enough that you healed in the time you did. Perhaps we shouldn't push our luck."

"I've been pushing my luck ever since the first time I stepped aboard the TARDIS, Doctor. What's the harm in doing it one more time?"

The Doctor shook his head. "You're impossible, Pond."

"Thank you," Amy responded proudly as she slowly stood up. The Doctor grabbed her by the forearms just in time, steadying her before she could collapse. She inhaled sharply as her body protested to the vertical position.

"You alright?" The Doctor's eyes flooded with concern.

Smiling through the pain, Amy rested her hands on his shoulders and brushed her lips against his. "I'm not gonna fall apart just yet," she told him with a strained laugh.

"Well that's a relief I must say," the Doctor said softly, bending down for a longer kiss.

Amy allowed the moment to go on for quite a while before pulling away and tapping his nose. "Do you think it's that easy to distract me?" She asked, her green eyes so vibrant that they made his hearts skip.

"It was worth a try."

Amy chuckled and moved past him, forgetting that she wasn't exactly up to her normal speed yet. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her waist before she was halfway to the door to prevent possible falls.

"Well the feast will probably do you good. Every time I finally get some meat on these bones you get sick or attack a monster wolf with a sword and manage to lose it all again," he said ruefully.

"So you want me to be as big as a house?"

"No, but I do miss the squishiness."

"Oi! I was never 'squishy', mister."

"What's wrong with being squishy? August seems to enjoy it."

"That's baby fat."

"I still like it."

"And you think I'm the impossible one."

"We're both impossible. That's what makes life so much more entertaining."

"Can't argue with that."

* * *

><p>With the Doctor's help, Amy made it through the corridors to the great hall, where the decorations were the most prevalent. She stopped on the threshold, her eyes wide and her mouth open as she took in the fir trees that looked as if they were growing out of the marble floor and were adorned with strings of popcorn, apples, pears, apricots, and lit candles. There were wreaths and great crimson bows on the walls and holly and mistletoe encompassing the doorways, and there was a fire roaring in the enormous brick hearth. Outside of the windows the world was dazzling white, and even though there was already a thick layer on the ground, snow was still falling steadily.<p>

"Amy, what are you doing out of bed?" River appeared beside them as if out of thin air, which was an accomplishment considering the current size of her belly. Now only three days away from her due date, she was roughly the size of two planets combined, and despite the bags under her eyes she managed to look as strong and independent as she ever had. Clarion stood a little distance away examining a legislative bill an advisor had brought to him, but it was clear that most of his focus was on his wife.

"I could ask you the same question," Amy answered. She glanced pointedly at the woman's midsection.

"I'm perfectly fine. Exercise is good for them," River defended, placing a hand over her bulge.

"Amy had it in her mind to see these decorations whether I allowed it or not," the Doctor informed with a wry smile.

"That doesn't surprise me," River remarked. She surveyed the hall, her hands pressed against her lower back to relieve the tension in her muscles from the weight she was carrying. "I wanted to help, but Clarion wouldn't let me touch anything."

"Actually, I wouldn't let you climb all the ladders you tried to scale whenever you thought I wasn't looking," Clarion cut in, coming over next to her and kissing her cheek.

"Oh shush. It was just one and I only went three steps up," River retorted.

"Falling from three steps would have been just as bad as falling from the top," her husband reminded.

"Since when do I fall off of things?"

Clarion raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, since when do I fall off things unintentionally?"

"There's always a first time."

Before River could counter this, there was a flurry of movement on the other side of the hall. One of the guards—a skinny young man who was one of the many immigrants from neighboring planets who had moved there recently because of Anavrin's rejuvenated commerce—raced over to them. He skittered to a stop just short of Clarion, gasping for breath, his brown eyes wide.

"Your Majesty, they're back!" The new guard managed to get out.

"Who is back, Bren?" Clarion asked calmly. He and River made it a priority to know the names of everyone who worked for them, believing correctly that good relations with them made the palace run more smoothly.

"The pirates! They got through our stratospheric defenses somehow; probably stowed away on a cargo airship. There's a platoon attacking the farms on the outskirts of the city as we speak," Bren announced in a rush.

At these words, the entire hall fell silent. Clarion, River, the Doctor, and Amy all looked at each other at the same time, shock written into their faces.

Clarion turned back to Bren. "Assemble a regiment at once. We ride within the hour," he ordered. Bren dipped his head obediently and scampered off.

"Why would such a relatively small group of pirates decide to attack now? They must know they're outnumbered," the Doctor mused.

"Suicide mission, probably. They want revenge and they don't mind dying to get it," Clarion said as he started for the nearest doorway, the Doctor beside him. Amy made to follow, but before she'd taken more than two steps she heard a sharp intake of breath behind her and turned to find River sinking to the floor, her hand pressed to her side and something that looked like water staining the skirts of her maternity dress.

"DOCTOR!" Amy shouted as she crouched next to her friend, supporting her. Both the Doctor and Clarion whirled around and, seeing the cause of the panic in her voice, sprinted back to them.

"It's just the first contraction. They won't be here for several hours yet," River said dismissively, although it was clear that she was still in pain.

"No. There's no way I'm leaving you," Clarion told her, grasping her hands.

"Can't you just send the regiment out without you?" Amy asked him.

River shook her head. "Anavrinian soldiers are always led into battle by the king and often the queen as well. It boosts morale and also exhibits the rulers' leadership," she explained.

The Doctor rested his hand on her belly, an expression of concentration on his face. "Well as ready as these two seem to get out of here, I highly doubt it's going to be any time soon, Clarion."

Clarion glanced at the page who had appeared carrying his armor and then back at his wife, plainly torn. The royal midwife was nearby as well, waiting to take River to a chamber where she would be more comfortable. Everyone else who was present in the hall watched with bated breath. "I want to be with her for this. This is our first birth, after all."

Understanding exactly what the king was going through, the Doctor looked at Amy, whose eyes were brimming with empathy. She was remembering the same event he was; the one birth he'd been absent from that had also nearly finished her off. Clarion had reason to be worried.

_Is there anything we can do?_ Amy questioned him.

_I don't think so. Except…if I went with Clarion and you stayed with River, we could keep them both updated on what was going on with the other using this mental link._

Amy bit her lip. _What if something happens to you?_

_I'll be fine. I don't plan on getting involved in the fight._

_You never do, yet somehow you end up in the middle of things every time anyway._

_Not _every _time…_

_Just about._

_Well I'll do my absolute best not to this time, alright?_

_Even if I say no you're still going to do it, aren't you?_

_Most likely._

Amy rolled her eyes._ Fine. Go ahead, you idiot._

The Doctor grinned. Turning to Clarion, he relayed the idea, and after much coaxing got him to go along with it. Before the king left to suit up for battle, he pulled River into a gentle embrace and kissed her until the Doctor cleared his throat; time was of the essence.

"I'll be praying for the safety of you and the twins every second while I'm gone," Clarion murmured fervently, his eyes locked on hers.

River smiled wanly. "Don't you bother with worrying about me, sweetie. I've been told on more than one occasion that I'm as strong as an ox," she told him with a small chuckle. "Besides, I've got Amy here watching out for me. I don't think I'm allowed to die."

"Got that right," Amy spoke up.

Clarion helped River to her feet, and they exchanged their last 'I love you's before Amy and the midwife steered the queen out of the hall. Clarion watched until they were out of sight, forgetting for a moment that he was needed elsewhere.

"Right then, Clari-boy; you've got pirates to get rid of. Come on. Chop chop." When he still refused to budge, the Doctor sighed and set to assisting him with buckling on his breastplate.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I can't seem to think of anything else right now," Clarion apologized with a shake of his head, snapping on his forearm guards.

"That's alright, Clarion. First time's always fun. You'll lose a lot more of your marbles after they're born, never fear. Especially if you're lucky enough to get a second and third time," said the Doctor, jovially slapping him on the shoulder as they left the hall and headed for the stables.

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><p><strong>If there are any typos in here, I sincerely apologize. It's so late (at least for me) that my eyes are crossing. 8}<strong>


	24. Wild Goose Chase

"How are you doing, River?"

"Do you really want the honest answer to that?"

River was lying in her and Clarion's bed, pillows cushioning her on all sides. She looked ready to tear the blanket to shreds from the way she was knotting it with her claw-like fingers every time a contraction hit. Amy was sitting cross-legged right beside her, a cool cloth waiting in the bowl on her lap to dab at her forehead later. She had enough experience to know that River needed someone she was close to right beside her during the entirety of the delivery.

"Just keep thinking of the twins. Not much longer now until you get to hold them for the very first time," Amy told her encouragingly.

A smile flitted across River's lips at the thought, but a moment later it was replaced by a grimace and a yelp of pain. When the contraction passed, she let her head drop back onto the pillows, already weary. "It feels like my insides are tying themselves in knots. And not regular knots either; complicated Navy knots." River groaned, closing her eyes. "Is this what it's like for every woman?"

"Worse, sometimes. Mine seemed determined to remind me just how human I really am."

River's eyes opened, and she looked at her friend. "I still can't believe you've been through this three times. And with Time Lords, no less."

Amy chuckled softly. "In fairness, none of them were twins."

River grinned. "Not yet, anyway."

"Oh please don't even joke. I think two babies at once would finish the Doctor off. Even Ian and Jenna were a handful for him; they still are."

"Maybe, but I do sincerely doubt August is the last one for you two."

"You don't think three kids is enough?"

"More like I don't think only three kids is possible."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? There are four years between Jenna and August, if you remember. We're getting better at being responsible."

"Of course you are, dear." River paused and clenched her teeth together as her body labored to bring two new lives closer to entering the world. This contraction lasted longer than the previous one had.

_Amy?_

Amy exhaled in relief to hear the Doctor's voice resonating in her head. _'Bout time. Where are you all now?_

_We're nearly there. How's River doing?_

Amy glanced at the woman, who was still gripping her pillow in agony. _Considering the circumstances; as good as she can be. The contractions are starting to lengthen. How's Clarion?_

_In a state. He's currently in the process of yanking out every one of the hairs on his head._

_Well you can tell him she's fine._

_Right-o. After all, baldness just isn't worth it._

Amy shook her head, not bothering to answer.

"Are you talking to the Doctor? Is Clarion alright?" River said suddenly, having noticed her silence and preoccupied expression.

"Yeah, he's good. He's still worried about you, of course," Amy replied.

River smiled at this, relaxing a bit.

_Amy? _There was a twinge of apprehension in the Doctor's thoughts, and Amy immediately focused on him again.

_What happened? Did you find the pirates?_

_No. I mean, well, that's just it. We followed Bren's directions exactly, but there's no suicidal platoon anywhere around here. It's completely peaceful, in fact._

_Are you sure?_

_Sure I'm sure. It's very unlikely that they're hiding under a rock somewhere; although that has been known to happen._

_So Bren sent you on a wild goose chase? Why would he do that?_

There was a heavy silence that hung in the air between them for a short moment. _Amy, I'm so very, very sorry._

_What are you getting at?_

_This whole thing was a wild goose chase, just as you said. And stupid me played right into it._

_But why—_

_THINK, Amelia! They wanted us out of the palace for a reason! Do you know how important heirs are to the continued welfare of Anavrin?_

Amy did think. Her eyes landed on River, and her heart missed a beat. _They won't get away with it. I won't let them, _she told him emphatically.

_We're coming as fast as we can. Just try to hold them off until we get back, _the Doctor ordered.

_Got it._

_And Amy?_

_Yeah?_

_Don't you dare die._

_I'll do my best._

"Amy? Amy, what's going on?" River asked as Amy abandoned the bowl in her lap and jumped off the bed. She recognized that stance all too well; she'd seen it in the braver soldiers four years previous as they'd marched into battle against the pirates. The midwife, who had been gathering towels in the corner in preparation of the birth, was also staring at the ginger-haired girl in surprise.

"I need a weapon. Do you keep any of your blasters in here?" Amy questioned.

"Why in the world—"

The sounds of a tumult in the farther reaches of the palace drifted into their hearing, and River looked even more confused than before.

"Do you have any blasters in this room, River?" Amy repeated urgently.

"Need you even ask? Third drawer of the cupboard," River responded, trying to ignore the pain that chose that moment to wash over her.

Amy was there in a flash. She pulled out the deadliest one she could find that she would be able to carry without it knocking her over and then pulled an ornamental sword off the wall for good measure.

"The pirates in the farmlands. It was a diversion, wasn't it?" River said numbly.

"Yep. Clarion and the Doctor are on their way." Amy marched towards the door, not bothering to give further explanation.

"Amy!"

Amy paused, the hand that wasn't carrying both blaster and sword resting on the doorknob.

"Be careful."

"I will. And I know this is kind of pointless to say, but try to relax, River. We'll have this taken care of in a jiffy."

River chuckled weakly. "I can't make any promises."

Amy made herself smile in reply, but as soon as she left she was in protector mode again. The corridor was devoid of murderous pirates, but Amy knew that it was only a matter of time. Her heart pounded a steady beat in her ears, like war drums, and she tightened her grip on her weapons.

She didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes later, Freya, Ezra, Ruth, and Esther stumbled around the far corner, bloodied and bruised but still fighting stubbornly with an assortment of swords, pistols, and an axe that Freya could only have taken from one of the suits of armor in the gallery. Their attackers were a considerably-sized band of pirates, amongst which was Bren and several others who had been under the palace's employ. It was obvious now that they had only been biding their time, waiting for just the right moment to put their plan into action.

Although Freya and the others tried to keep the pirates away from the door leading to River, they were quickly drawn back into the fray. Several of the invaders, including Bren, broke off and went straight for Amy. With a great yell she took out four of them with the blaster and ran one of them through with the sword. Shortly after, the blaster was torn from her hand and skidded out of sight. She raised the sword just as the rest of the men ran at her, succeeding in killing yet another at the same time they crashed into her, slamming her into the door. The hinges groaned and gave way under their weight, and they all fell backward into the room.

The midwife, who was a good-sized woman and had decided it was her duty to be a human shield for the incapacitated queen, screamed as Amy, Bren, and the remaining pirate tumbled onto the floor, their blades locked in combat. The remaining pirate reacted to a thrust just a second too late and soon joined his fellows on the floor, but Bren fought on, clearly an expert swordsman. The blade of his sword cut a shallow line across Amy's neck that nevertheless drew blood, and as a result she parried and thrust with new vigor, knocking his sword away. Before she could deal her final blow, however, the ex-guard—who was far stronger than he appeared—tackled her. She struggled against his weight, her muscles screaming in protest.

"Why are you doing this, Bren?" She gasped as his viselike fingers tightened around her throat, her fingernails scrabbling at them.

"It's Shamash, not Bren. And I'm merely returning the favor after you lot killed my older brother."

Amy was about to ask what he meant when she realized, for the first time, why his features looked so familiar. "Marduk," she deduced in a whisper.

Shamash's lip curled. "At last the Doctor's wife has figured it out," he said mockingly. Without warning his fist slammed into the side of Amy's skull, and she fell limp, stars exploding before her eyes. Grinning in satisfaction, the pirate prince rose and headed for the bed. There was another scream as the midwife was thrown into the opposite wall and slid down it, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Amy's body was begging her to succumb to the darkness awaiting her at the edges of her vision. Every bone, muscle, and ligament was on fire, and the pain was almost unbearable. Just as she was about to give in to it, the Doctor's voice echoed in her mind.

_Almost there, Amelia. Hold on; only a bit longer._

The words seemed to have some sort of medicinal effect on Amy. Despite her aching body, she forced herself up, dropping onto her hands and knees as the room reeled around her. A cry from River sharpened her sight, and she looked up to see Shamash advancing on the woman with a switch knife in hand. River watched him with horrified eyes as he approached, her brow furrowed and her chest heaving. The contractions were growing closer and closer together, preventing her from defending herself or even attempting to escape.

Something snapped inside Amy right then, and an unbridled fury rose up like bile in her throat. The anger lent her strength, and she utilized it to stand. Without even thinking she launched herself at Shamash, taking him by surprise and toppling back on the floor with him. He lashed out at her with the switch knife, but she twisted his wrist at the last second. The blade plunged into his own heart, and his jaw dropped in shock. Amy watched as the life drained from his eyes, and he crumpled, never to rise again.

Amy's borrowed strength was quickly fading, but she wasn't ready to yield to the darkness just yet. Staggering to the bed, she dragged herself on top of it and was relieved to find that Shamash hadn't succeeded in harming her charge.

"They're here, River; they're on their way," Amy managed to say, grasping River's hand in hers and not even feeling it when the woman unintentionally squeezed it too hard.

"AMY!" River shouted as the girl slumped against her, but she received no response. Amy's vision had blacked out entirely, and she could just hear the fight still raging outside the door, although as if from the other end of a tunnel. It sounded like it was dissipating, but she reasoned that this was because her hearing was failing her.

In her last moment of consciousness, Amy thought she felt large, warm hands clasp her shoulder and flip her on her back, sensed the proximity of a man who was terrified that she was dead, smelled the welcoming, clove-like scent she knew even better than her own, heard the voice desperately crying out to her in Gallifreyan. Anything after that was lost to her.

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><p><strong>Shamash was the Babylonian god of the sun.<strong>


	25. Starchildren

**Sorry this has taken so long. For the past few days I've been fighting with AT&T to replace a phone I got from them that is known for shutting itself off. So far they haven't relented, but I'm bringing out the the big guns next: Dad. WE SHALL WIN THIS BATTLE!**

**Ahem.**

**Anyway, please enjoy and review :)**

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><p>The fact that the room was completely dark and she was alone in it was the first thing that registered in Amy's brain when she awoke. The next was how much her body ached. On instinct she reached out for the Doctor with her mind, her voice currently too weak to yell his name.<p>

About five seconds later he burst through the door, and the light that came pouring in from the corridor was almost too much for Amy's unadjusted eyes to bear.

"Of course you had to wake up the one time I decided to go check on River's progress," the Doctor said with an amused shake of his head. He crossed the expanse of floor that separated them in an instant and sat beside her on the bed.

"She's still in labor?" Amy said weakly, finding her voice.

The Doctor nodded. "You've only been out for a couple hours, although even that feels like a lifetime."

"How is she doing?"

"Well she's screaming up a storm, and Clarion's already gotten his share of threats—honestly, and I thought you were bad—but otherwise everything's going fine. There haven't been any complications thus far."

"You know I didn't mean it when I threatened you. It was my first time having a baby, ya know."

The Doctor chuckled, running his thumb along her cheekbone and making her forget about the pain for a moment. "I know, dear. Although I probably did deserve it."

"Oh shut up," Amy told him. She wrapped her hand around his arm and guided him closer, her lips claiming his. "So what happened to the pirates?" She questioned afterward.

"Besides the ones who were unfortunate enough to tangle with you? They were all arrested."

"And Freya and the others?"

"Everyone's fine. Some scrapes and broken bones here and there, but nothing too serious." The Doctor planted a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I was sure you were dead. You were so pale when I found you, and the blood…yet the physician said that other than a slight concussion you're fine." He looked away from her. "I should have noticed that Bren—er, Shamash—bore a resemblance to Marduk. We should've never left you alone."

"Hey there." Amy placed her hand on his cheek, making his eyes return to hers. "None of us thought about it. We all assumed that the pirates were long gone, and that there wasn't anything to fear now. There was no way you could've known."

"But I could have lost you."

"I can take care of myself pretty well, ya know."

"So I noticed." The Doctor grinned wryly. "Six pirates dead because of you. That wasn't quite what I had in mind when I asked you to 'hold them off'."

Amy shrugged. "They were trying to kill River. I wasn't gonna let that happen."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my magnificent Amelia Pond. Just try to leave some pirates for the others next time, okay?"

Amy answered this by grabbing his braces and dragging him into a kiss that somehow led to her lying on top of him, her nimble fingers working to loosen his bowtie. They were interrupted when the door slammed open again, revealing an overexcited Clarion.

"They're here! They're here! It's a girl! And a boy! One of each!" He exclaimed, apparently oblivious to the fact that he'd just intruded upon a private moment.

"Can we see them?" Amy asked eagerly, abandoning her previous mission.

"Of course! Come on!" With that Clarion disappeared. They heard him hurtle down the hallway, knocking over what sounded like a rather large vase in the process.

The Doctor opened his mouth to suggest that his wife stay in bed but then thought better of it. There was no way that she would miss seeing River and Clarion's twins for the first time, and there was really nothing he could do to stop her. Instead, he opted for another method.

"Come along, Pond!" The Doctor said, picking Amy up bridal style and racing after Clarion. She bombarded him with the usual objection—that she could walk by herself and didn't need him to carry her like a baby—but he only grinned and ignored her. They reached the royal chambers in record time, and only then did he set her down at the foot of the enormous canopied bed.

River was looking absolutely radiant, despite her evident fatigue. Her long blond curls that tumbled loosely around her face seemed to glow in the morning light that was flooding through the opposite window, and her shining blue eyes reflected her infectious smile. In each arm was a tiny bundle, tufts of pale blond hair just visible over the pink and blue blankets. The twins were just barely awake, their unfocused irises already an amethyst-purple. Clarion leaned over and kissed his wife tenderly on the forehead, his movements reinforcing his love.

Releasing the Doctor's arm, Amy moved slowly towards the family, her heart softening at the sight of her best friend finally getting to experience what she herself had enjoyed for the past four plus years. She settled on the edge of the mattress, and River offered her one of her children to hold. Amy carefully took the tiny baby girl in her arms, a smile tugging at her lips as the newborn immediately grabbed onto her finger and held on tight.

"What did you name them?" She asked.

"If you named one of them after me I promise I won't blush," the Doctor spoke up, coming over beside Amy and ruffling the head of the miniature person she was holding.

"Sorry, Doctor, but your name really doesn't fit anyone else but you," River said with a laugh.

"Very true," remarked the Doctor seriously as he straightened his bowtie.

"We decided to call our son Aries Ravid and our daughter Cassiopeia Amelia," Clarion announced proudly.

"Cassie for short," River added.

"You gave her my name for a middle name?" Amy said in surprise, stroking the baby's velveteen cheek.

"What? She gets two different children—your daughter and Rory's—named after her and yet no one wants to call their kid 'Doctor'? Injustice, I tell you," the Doctor huffed.

"Oh shush," Amy told her husband, and he found himself involuntarily silencing any further complaints.

"We wanted to name them something that reminded us of Earth, since it's our favorite place to visit. Clarion took me there while I was five months along for a picnic under the stars, and the constellation names just seemed to stick with us," River explained. Her son was currently experimenting with her knuckle, trying to figure out if it was a source of food or not, and she beamed maternally as he gummed his way around it. "They're perfect, aren't they?"

"They're magnificent," Amy replied with a warm smile.

* * *

><p>The visit was cut short when River became so exhausted she was yawning in time with her children, at which point the Doctor remembered that Amy needed her rest as well. He walked her back to their room after she flatly refused to be carried again and made her lie down.<p>

"It's the middle of the morning, Doctor!" Amy protested as he tucked the covers around her, not wanting to admit she was getting drowsy once more.

"As excellent of an observation as that is, may I remind you that you just had to go and beat up those pirates when your body wasn't even done repairing itself after the first incident. And if I'm not mistaken, it intends to finish now," the Doctor told her as he drew the drapes closed over the wide windows, shutting out the natural light.

As if on cue, a great yawn burst from Amy just as he was turning around. She mentally kicked herself, although she knew it would have been near impossible to stifle the impulse. "But I'm not tired!" She argued lamely.

The Doctor's eyebrows went up. "You could have fooled me," he said with a small chuckle, removing his coat, bowtie, braces and shoes before sauntering over to slide under the covers with her. His strong arms encircled her slight frame, the comfortable cocoon he was wrapping her in only making her more tired.

"Doctor?" She said, fighting off sleep a little longer.

"Hmm?"

"I was just thinking; our children don't have middle names."

"Well a lot of people don't. It's one of those things that goes in and out of fashion every few centuries."

"Still, it seems a little strange for them to just have one name when I have two and you have about a hundred."

"A hundred and three, to be precise. The looks I get when I fill out forms; you have no idea."

"I'm serious about this, Doctor."

"Alright, alright. It's actually a hundred and two."

"Doctor!"

The Doctor laugh was muffled by her hair. "Well what do you want their middle names to be? They already have smashing surnames. Can't do better than 'Pond'."

"I dunno. I was hoping you might have some ideas."

"I thought we already figured out I was bad at this."

"Please?"

The Doctor sighed. "Alright. Just don't laugh."

"I'll try my hardest not to."

"Well perhaps—for Jenna, of course—we could use Kelly."

There was a pause. "Is that another long-lost supposedly-dead daughter of yours?"

"Of course not. It's the shade of green that your eyes are most of the time."

Amy couldn't help but grin. "I actually like it. Although—not that it matters much—but could we spell it with an 'i' on the end instead of a 'y'? I've always preferred it that way."

"Whatever you want, love. One down, two to go."

"Could we use Seamus for Ian?"

"You must really love that name."

"Well you can't have too many Scottish names, now can ya?"

"Never." The Doctor chuckled again. "Which leaves us with August. Oh! How about 'Rush'?"

"Seriously?"

"What? Fantastic movie, August Rush. I cried the first three times that I watched it."

"Good movie, yes. Good name for our son, no."

"How about Russell, then?"

"You totally just stole that from Keri Russel."

"Maaybe…"

"August Russell Pond…Okay I suppose it isn't _that_ bad. And it's presentable enough next to Ian Seamus and Jenna Kelli."

"Thank you so much for the vote of confidence." The Doctor pulled his fingers through her hair, and her eyelids fluttered shut on their own accord. "You know what Russell means though, don't you? 'Little red'."

"Oh drat."

* * *

><p><strong>Hee hee.<strong>

**So if you haven't seen August Rush, you can just go die in a hole right now. Lol it really is a pretty good and inspiring movie, and if you like any sort of music (especially classical) you HAVE to see it. Keri Russel is the actress who plays Lyla Novacek, AKA August's mom.**


	26. Winter Solstice Day

**Yes, I know, it's been a while. Been a bit busy with figuring out how I'm going to get a publisher for my book and life in general. Sorry.**

**Anyway, enjoy and please review! :D**

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><p>Amy ended up sleeping both the remainder of the day and the entire night away while the Doctor kept a vigil over her. He was convinced he could never get tired of watching her sleep, watching her breathe in and out and just be alive. This definitely wasn't one of her most attractive sleep cycles—she was so worn out that even her jaw muscles had decided to take a break, resulting in a bit of saliva dribbling from the corner of her mouth, and a snore escaped every once and a while—but somehow the Doctor found this adorable. He wiped away the saliva with a handkerchief and turned her so that she wouldn't risk suffocation from having her face buried in the pillow, his actions so fluid that the rhythm of her breathing barely changed throughout the process.<p>

Sometime around four in the morning he fell asleep as well, his entire body wrapped around hers, and didn't awake until four hours later when a familiar, tiny-lunged cry broke the silence. The Doctor opened his eyes to find Esther—who was sporting a rather impressive bandage around her upper arm due to the run-in with the pirates—standing in the doorway looking extremely overwhelmed, a screaming August on her hip.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Doctor, sir. But he's past the point of reason, he is! He wants her and he won't be distracted this time," Esther told him hysterically as August clenched his tiny fists around the material of her sleeve and continued his tantrum.

"Wos goin' on?" Amy muttered, still half asleep. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't seem to manage it for very long.

"Everything's fine, Amy," the Doctor said softly in her ear before getting up and taking their son from the nanny. Visibly relieved, Esther hurried out of the room before he could stop her. August sniffled into his shirt, a begging whimper replacing the howl.

"It's really not all that bad, you know. Sometimes you just have to take your formula like a man," the Doctor told him, heading back towards the bed.

August whined.

"Yes, yes, I know. Mummy's milk is better; you've been quite clear on that already. But Mummy needs her rest on occasion," the Doctor chided.

August wailed indignantly in reply, apparently not fond of this concept.

"Alright, alright! Don't get your knickers in a twist." With his free hand the Doctor shook Amy's shoulder, but it took a good while to fully rouse her. She yawned and stretched.

"What time is it?" She asked groggily.

"Eight o' clock in the morning on Anavrin's Winter Solstice Day," The Doctor informed her. August made an impatient noise and he added, "Apparently it's also feeding time."

Amy's eyes settled on the boy, and she smiled. "Hallo there, August Russell." She looked up at the Doctor. "Does he like his new middle name?"

The Doctor listened for a moment. "He says it's fine but would you please get to feeding him now before he dies of starvation?"

"He said all that?"

"And then some. Babies are ever so dramatic."

"Good grief," Amy said with a shake of her head, pulling up one side of her sweater as the Doctor handed August over to her. In seconds he had stopped wailing, the thickness of the sweater doing little to muffle the gulping noise he was making. His mother sighed and settled back against her pillow. _This one's appetite is ridiculous,_ she remarked in her head.

_He's still working on getting taller than the rest of us, _reminded the Doctor affectionately. He tucked the comforter around her once more, protecting both her and August against the slight chill in the air.

_If he keeps this up he's gonna be a bloomin' skyscraper._

_Well at least we'll always be able to find him._

_Haha. Very funny._

_I'm so glad you finally noticed._

_Oh shut it._

_Must you always be shushing me?_

_Do you realize how much you talk? It's kinda necessary if the rest of us want to get any peace._

_You make it sound like a bad thing._

_Well I would prefer it if my ears didn't fall off._

_Thanks. Thanks a lot._

_Besides, there are better things those lips could be doing._

_Such as?_

Amy grinned roguishly, her fingers curling around his collar and pulling him closer before he even realized what was happening. The kiss she planted on his lips made him almost forget that August was there, or that he would need air eventually. It took all his strength to control himself enough to pull away.

"Please don't tempt me right now, Pond," the Doctor murmured, his eyes hungry. His hand slid under her shirt and came to rest on their youngest's soft hair, as if he needed something to remind him that they weren't alone.

Amy smiled and ran a finger down his clothed chest, and he nearly dove for her lips again. "I have to entertain myself somehow. You're lucky you've got Time Lord genes helpin' you heal fast every time you get hurt. I get stuck in bed for ages whenever I do."

"There's always the option of keeping yourself out of life-threatening situations, of course."

"Yeah, but I'd only die of boredom instead and then where would you be?"

The Doctor chuckled. He kissed the tip of her nose and then settled himself behind her, pulling his wife and his son into his arms. The warmth radiating from his body lulled Amy into a daze, and soon enough both her and August were fast asleep.

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><p>The people of Anavrin were overjoyed when it was announced that their new prince and princess had been born on the eve of the Winter Solstice. There was much celebration throughout Arbora; music and dancing brightened the snow-covered streets, and a round of cannons was fired in honor of the occasion.<p>

Within the palace, a great feast was being prepared, doubly as grand as it usually was on that holiday. Since River was still too weak to attend, the palace chefs brought a portion of it to the royal chambers so that she, Clarion, the Doctor, and Amy could have their own private feast. While everyone else was eating, Ian and Jenna marveled over the twins who were fast asleep in their cradles and August garbled nonsensically in Amy's lap, preoccupying himself with sucking on his fist while his mother made up for the meals she had missed. The chefs that Clarion and River had in their employ were undoubtedly quite accomplished.

"Look at them. Only a day old and you can already tell they're growing," River remarked, unable to tear her eyes from the new additions to her family.

"They'll be as big as Ian and Jenna before you know it," Amy pointed out.

River chuckled. "I hope not. I wouldn't mind if they stayed this size forever."

"Well you know there's always the Fountain of Youth..." the Doctor began to say, but his wife immediately cut him off.

"Don't you even THINK about it, mister," she threatened.

"I was only joking. Besides, it would be a nightmare to have to keep changing dirty nappies and filling bottles for the rest of one's life," the Doctor responded.

"Funny. I feel like we already do that," Amy commented airily as she pulled August away from the shiny steak knife he was reaching for.

"That reminds me, Doctor; how old will yours and Amy's children get, exactly? After all, they do have some human in them," River questioned curiously.

"Yes, they do, although Amy's aging gene was removed from her DNA long before they were even conceived. My guess is that they will level off somewhere in their twenties," the Doctor told her.

A surprised look suddenly dawned on Amy's face, as if she had just realized something. "So you're saying I'm going to have children who are the same age as me one day?"

"In appearance, yes."

"Brilliant." Amy glanced down at August, who was staring up at her with wide, inquisitive eyes, and saw for a moment a face that was twenty years older with a little bit of her and quite a bit of the Doctor in it. The next second his pink-lipped mouth stretched into a dimpled smile that turned his bright eyes into half-moons, and the image vanished. Regardless, Amy couldn't shake the memory of it.

"What about regeneration?" Clarion asked.

The Doctor frowned. "I'm not entirely sure on that either. It varies—depends on if the gene decides to be recessive or dominant—but there's a good chance in this situation that they will be able to regenerate."

The conversation was interrupted when Aries woke up and began to cry, which led to Clarion jumping up immediately to attend to him. Even when the child was asleep again and the conversation around the table resumed on another topic, the Doctor could still sense the disturbance in Amy's thoughts. He didn't comment on it, however, until they left later in the evening after Clarion announced River needed sleep.

"Does it bother you that Ian and Jenna and August will stop aging one day?" He asked as they walked back to the nursery to put their children down for a nap.

"No, 'course not. I mean, it just sort of hit me for the first time, ya know? People are gonna think we're siblings or somethin'."

"I try not to pay attention to what people think. Puts a real damper on life, especially when they don't have one kind word to say about fezzes," the Doctor said, smiling as August grabbed his finger and crammed it into his tiny mouth. He'd taken over baby-carrying duty as soon as they'd left the royal chambers, knowing that Amy wasn't quite as well as she was pretending to be.

"But isn't it going to be a little strange for you too?"

"Not really. I've seen stranger things in my nine hundred years."

"Well not all of us can say that."

The Doctor stopped walking, causing Amy to follow suit. He moved closer to her and slipped a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Their eyes connected, and Amy noted a familiar, ancient remorse shining in his. _If it had been my choice I would have never removed your humanity from you. You wouldn't have had to face this reality._

_Stop it. I still don't regret any of this, even if it was an accident._

The Doctor hesitated, biting his lip, before answering. _Except it wasn't._

"What?" Amy couldn't help but revert to talking aloud. There was a thoroughly confused expression on her face.

The Doctor sighed. "I only just found out from the TARDIS. I know this is going to sound odd, but she's been kind of…planning all of this from Day One. Or Day Two, rather."

"Doctor, you better explain yourself."

_Remember when I told you that the TARDIS must have shifted in flight and somehow landed us in 1513? And how we happened to end up on Dulkis on the one day of the year they were holding a marriage ceremony that neither of us knew anything about? She's smart, Amy. She knew offspring were bound to come next, and arranged everything so they would._

_If this is some kind of joke, it's not very amusing._

_It's the truth, Amelia._ The Doctor proceeded to tell her everything, from when Freya had first seen the TARDIS's involvement to the moment the time machine had confirmed it and informed him that the children were fixed points. All the while Amy stared at him, shocked.

_What did she mean, then, that other paths were far less pleasant than the one she chose for you? What would you have…done to me, in another situation?_

_Don't think of it in that way, Amy._ _ The TARDIS sees every possible outcome of events, but not necessarily what will most definitely come to pass. I could never have hurt you like that_, the Doctor replied firmly.

_But it was a possibility._

_Not one I would have pursued. I love you far too much to do that to you._

Amy could see the honesty written into the lines of his face and knew he wasn't just lying elaborately. Very slowly, she relaxed. _I know you wouldn't have._

The Doctor grinned in relief and drew her closer for a gentle kiss.

"Daddy? Mummy? Do you guys have to do that out where everyone can see?" Ian demanded, tugging on his father's pant leg. His sister stuck out her tongue for good measure.

The Doctor only smirked and deepened the kiss, which brought about a selection of rather inventive gagging noises from the peanut gallery.

"Alright, you two. Off to bed," Amy laughed once she had broken away, opening the door in front of them. Although they groaned about it, both Ian and Jenna obeyed, all the food they had eaten earlier making their eyes droop. The Doctor transferred August back into Amy's arms, and she watched affectionately as he tucked the blankets tightly around their two eldest. They were asleep only seconds later, but even so the Time Lord stood for a moment gazing at them before threading his arm around Amy's waist and exiting the nursery.


	27. Flying Females

**So I compiled all of this fanfiction, from Fountain of Youth to the chapter two chapters before this one, into Word again in order to put it on a flash drive for a friend**. **Can you guess how many pages it came out to? Come on, take a guess.**

**345.**

**345 pages of endless Doctor Who-ness, and that's not even double-spaced. You guys better love me lol.**

**Please review! :D**

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><p>The TARDIS's family stayed at the palace for days after the birth, helping River while she recovered her strength. It wasn't long, however, before both the Doctor and Amy started feeling a little too cloistered, their hunger for the universe growing with each day that dawned.<p>

"You know who I've always wanted to meet?" Amy asked the Doctor one morning while they were sitting on the palace's grandest balcony. River had at last reached the point where she could walk around without anyone's help and had joined them, the twins lying on a blanket near her chair. August was with them, watching from his sitting position with an almost superior expression as they waved all four limbs helplessly in the air like overturned beetles. Ian and Jenna were playing with the other palace children supposedly in the nursery, although it was more than likely that they had escaped already and were rampaging through the palace's maze of corridors.

"Charlie Chaplin?" The Doctor guessed at random as he examined an Anavrinian baby toy.

"Nope. Besides, we already went to see him, remember?"

"Oh yes. Fella really had a mouth on him, didn't he? Not something you'd expect from a silent film star."

"Still nothing compared to yours."

"Watch it, Pond."

"Anyway, the person I really want to meet is Amelia Earhart. She always fascinated me, and not just because we share the same name. She was just so…inspirational, ya know?"

"Are you planning to fly an airplane anytime soon, Amy?"

Amy chuckled. "You know what I mean. No other woman would have dared to do what she did, venturing into something that people had long considered to be only for men."

"Those were the days," the Doctor remarked wistfully. Amy promptly punched his arm. "Ouch! It was just a joke. I completely agree with you; she was a revolutionary."

"So what happened to her?"  
>"She disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean while attempting to circumnavigate the globe. Don't they teach you humans anything in school?"<p>

"No, I mean what actually happened to her? Did she really plummet into the sea or did something else that no one's supposed to know about happen?"

"Honestly, I've never even thought about finding out for myself before," the Doctor answered, abandoning the toy to stroke his chin thoughtfully.

"Only because he doesn't like women piloting flying machines," River spoke up.

"Nonsense. I have absolutely no problem with female pilots."

"No, just female TARDIS pilots."

"That is an entirely different matter."

"Not really. There's not too much of a difference between airplanes and time machines."

"Yes there _is._ When was the last time an airplane could travel through time?"

"Oh hush, you two. You're worse than when Ian and Jenna squabble." Amy shook her head. "So can we go visit her?" She asked the Doctor excitedly.

"Well I suppose we could one day."

"One day? Why not now?"

"If we're going to find out if and how a person died, I'd rather the children be a little older. Especially August."

"Oh nonsense. Clarion and I can watch them," River cut in again.

The Doctor glanced at her. "We can't do that to you, River. You have Aries and Cassie to look after now. And you've seen how August gets when he hasn't had his—you-know-what—on a near hourly basis." Both he and Amy had learned that it was best not to mention 'milk' around their youngest son. It seemed to be the only word he properly understood, and once he heard it he would cry until he got it.

"I'm sorry, I thought you two had a _time_ machine," River answered airily.

The Doctor and Amy looked at each other.

_We could do it, couldn't we? We could be back in five minutes their time, _Amy began.

_Of course we could. The TARDIS is very precise._

_You may want to let me fly her back, though. Don't want to end up twelve years late or anything._

_How many times do I have to tell you that the engines were still phasing? And besides, you can't use that anymore now that we know the TARDIS planned for that to happen._

_Actually, she planned for the extra two years to happen. The twelve years are still all on you._

"Would you two please stop doing that? It's very inconvenient for the people who can't communicate telepathically," River said, mildly irritated. She knew well enough by now when they were having private conversations, from both the silence and the unwavering focus they had on each other. Those who weren't aware of their connection generally assumed they were having some kind of intense staring contest.

"Our apologies, River. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to pay Ms. Earhart a little visit," the Doctor decided aloud.

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><p>Amy looked as if she'd just been given the birthday present she'd always wanted and couldn't quite figure out how to contain her excitement. After double checking that Ian and Jenna hadn't become vandals in the time they'd been out of sight and that August had a full belly and was laid down for his nap, she and the Doctor headed for the room where the TARDIS was parked. As they got closer, her walk turned into a skip, and the Doctor couldn't help but think of a young child who'd been promised a day at the zoo.<p>

"I can't wait to see her in person. I never thought those old photographs and film strips did her justice," Amy bubbled enthusiastically before pushing through the door of the TARDIS, her eyes aglow with anticipation.

"Well be glad you have even that. You would not believe the pep talk I had to give Louis Lumiere to convince him his motion picture camera wasn't a piece of junk. Okay actually it sort of was before I—er—gave him some pointers."

"You invented the first motion picture camera?"

"What? No, just helped him make a few minor modifications. If I'd done all the work, you lot would have had 3D televisions by 1905."

"Too bad. It'd probably make them more affordable now," Amy commented as the Doctor started fiddling with the controls.

"Oh, 3D is nothing compared to 5D. It actually transports you from your living room into the movie. Just don't watch Jaws; you only make that mistake once. Sometimes twice," the Doctor said idly, flicking switches. Before he'd gotten to the lever that initiated liftoff, however, Amy sidled up next to him and draped herself over one shoulder.

"Doctor?"

The Time Lord turned towards her curiously but hadn't even finished saying 'what?' when her lips closed over his. The force of the kiss pushed him back into the console, and his hands immediately left the controls to tangle in her wild red hair.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" He asked breathlessly when they separated, straightening his bowtie in an attempt to keep his hands from returning to her body. "Not that I mind in the least, of course."

Amy grinned mischievously. "Just thought I'd remind you which Amelia you're allowed to have. 'Case you forget later."

"There is absolutely no way I could ever forget something like that, Ms. Pond," the Doctor told her fervently, a smile pulling at his mouth.

"Are you sure? From what I hear, Amelia Earhart was one spirited lady."

"No one could possibly be as spirited as you."

"Well that's a shame. I was hoping I'd have to do a little more convincing." Amy ran a finger around the buttons of his shirt to convey her meaning.

The Doctor's face went blank, but all at once he caught on. "Oh! Oh right, yeah, I meant to say that I'm about ninety-six percent sure that no other Amelia could compare to you."

"Hmm. I suppose I'm just going to have to do something about that other four percent," Amy murmured sultrily, her lips claiming his once more.


End file.
